Code Geass: Lucian of the Paradox
by Demons Anarchy of Pride
Summary: Past, Present, Future... Time is meaningless. Lucian Kouzuki knows this, but when granted the chance to save his father, will he take it? "I am Lucian vi Britannia, twelfth prince and 18th heir to the Imperial throne... and I bow down to no one." Time-Travel Fic. I do not own Lucian, he is property of the authors of Lucian of the Rebellion and Twin Demons.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** Lucian Kouzuki never knew his father, only that he was the most selfless person this world had ever known. He pretended to be a demon so that he could bring peace. However, when given the chance to change everything, will he save his father from the darkness? Or will history repeat itself? This is the paradox that has appeared before the Twelfth Prince of Britannia.

Code Geass: Lucian of the Paradox

**Author's Notes:** Before I begin this story, allow me to say that the character of Lucian does not belong to me. He belongs to the respective authors of Code Geass: Twin Demons and Code Geass: Lucian of the Rebellion. Now, I got this idea while I was reading a time travel fanfiction about Suzaku and Kallen's son, so I thought 'what the hell' and tried a hand at this myself. So, here we are with Lucian, who is Lelouch's son instead of his twin brother. Also, Lucian's Knightmare will be VERY familiar to fans of Mr. Bushido from Gundam 00.

Please enjoy the first chapter, and tell me what you think. Give me your thoughts and if it does not meet your standards, then I shall do whatever I can to improve. If you are still not satisfied, you are free to leave whenever you wish. However, if there are any flamers out there, I ask that you please keep your comments to yourself. It is partially because of you people that many authors have dropped out of the fanfiction world because of harsh criticism. If you don't like the story, why review at all?

Prologue: Enter the Black Prince

Lucian Kouzuki groaned as he felt feeling begin to emerge back in his body, though most of him still felt a bit numb. He blinked a few times to get used to the dimly lit cockpit he was inside, the illumination provided was the monitor in front of him. He had to squint at first before he was finally adjusted to the light, seeing only static in front of him.

"Dammit... what happened?" he mumbled before realizing where he was. "Wait... what am I doing inside a cockpit?"

He tried to search his memories for an answer, but came up with nothing. Sighing, he grabbed the keyboard that was attached to the side of the cockpit and began to type at an incredible speed before the static on his monitor vanished, showing a system report. "Looks like everything is still working normally... but what the heck happened?"

He didn't remember why he was inside a Knightmare, and when he did a environment check-up, he sure as hell didn't remember being in a ghetto. However, he was horrified by what he saw, as it was by far the worst looking city he had seen as if it had been through hell on Earth and no one bothered to repair it. He could see leveled streets and slanted buildings, looking as if they could fall down at any second.

"What the hell happened here?" he muttered before seeing a small warehouse nearby. "Hopefully it's unoccupied." Taking hold of the controls and sliding the keyboard back in its hiding place, the Knightmare moved quickly inside the warehouse through the open hole in the roof. He noted that he was flying through the air, meaning his Knightmare was equipped with either a Float or Glide System.

Once he found a suitable hiding place behind a large stack of wooden crates, Lucian opened the cockpit, which slid open with a hiss. He took a deep breath of the fresh air before stepping out and jumping off, landing gently on his feet. He noticed that he was in his casual clothes, which wasn't really anything fancy, although he had to admit, Tamaki had style. A white leather jacket with black trims, a pale pink v-neck, a blue scarf around his neck, and a pair of black jeans with combat boots had done wonders for his image as a pretty boy.

However, it was when he looked at some broken shards of glass on the ground that he noticed how much he resembled his father. The only real difference between the two was that his bangs hid his right eye, and his left was colored bluish gray rather than purple, unlike his right eye. Because of that, anyone who met or saw Lucian thought him to be Lelouch vi Britannia, the late Demon Emperor of Britannia.

Of course, they weren't wrong about that. He wasn't Lelouch, per say, but he was related to him. On record, his name was Lucian Kouzuki, his only living relatives being his mother, Kallen Stadtfeld-Kouzuki, and his grandmother Yukiko Kouzuki. On record, his father had died long before he was born.

What people didn't know was that, in reality, his name was Lucian vi Britannia, twelfth prince of Britannia and eighteenth heir to the Imperial Throne, said to succeed Cornelia once she ascended the throne after Nunnally. His father... was Lelouch vi Britannia, the late 99th Emperor.

There were only a handful of people who knew the truth about Lelouch vi Britannia and his plan, known as the "Zero Requiem". Those people were Kaname Ohgi, Villetta Nu (though Villetta Ohgi now, since she was married), Shinichiro Tamaki, Gino Weinberg, Suzaku Kururugi, Jeremiah Gottwald, the maid slash ninja Sayoko Shinozaki, Anya Elstheim, his mother, his aunt Nunnally, Cornelia li Britannia and her knight Guildford, Lloyd Asplund, Cecile Croomy, Rakshata Chawla, Nagisa Chiba, and finally Kyoshiro Tohdoh.

Since Lucian's being as the child of Lelouch was kept secret, there were split concerns on whether or not he should be considered royalty, since no one outside of the people who knew about the Zero Requiem knew that Lelouch vi Britannia had actually planned his assassination considered the man to be evil incarnate. It was because of any hostility towards him that, once they learned about Kallen being pregnant with Lelouch's child, they agreed to keep his true heritage secret. He was aware of this, in fact he grew up to the stories and exploits of the Black Knights and the adventures of the Man of Miracles, Zero.

Even now, whenever Lucian looked himself in the mirror, he would see someone who looked exactly like him, except without the right eye being covered and his left eye being purple. The young man dug around in his pockets before he took out his cellphone, though he stared at the strap that dangled down from the phone. The item was of personal value to him, as it was among the only links between him and his father, despite the fact that it belonged to his foster uncle Rolo, who had passed away before the Zero Requiem even took place.

Repressing any morbid thoughts, he placed the cellphone back in his pocket and looked at the Knightmare he was piloting. Lucian smiled as soon as he saw it, in fact one could see pride beaming off of him. The Knightmare looked like the Knightmare version of a samurai warrior from the age of Japan, the head unit resembling the helmet worn by generals, and the two-flaud pieces at the sides of its body resembling the remains of armor. Hanging down from the back of the head unit were two long black strands that dangled down, as if mimicking hair. Of course, the real appeal to the machine was the pair of twin MVS Katanas at its hips.

As fearsome as it appeared, it was aptly known as "Susano'o", the 10th-Generation Knightmare Frame. It was also Lucian's personal unit, designed by the brains of the Earl of Pudding Lloyd Asplund and the Indian Sati Rakshata Chawla. It came into being due to the idea that sprung in the mind of a five-year-old Lucian, who was a Knightmare fanatic. They just happened to overhear the brilliant idea of him saying something about what would happen if Knightmares could have kids, and the Susano'o was the end result... although Kallen questioned the two's mentality, as despite having the same tech as the Albion and S.E.I.T.E.N, it looked nothing like the two

In the end, when Lucian was old enough, he began diving into anything Knightmare related and participated hour after hour in simulators, being the first person to grab a perfect score on the Guren and Lancelot's sims, and earning a complete 100% sync rate with the Knightmare when he first piloted it. He was considered to be a true prodigy among the Black Knights, who were now enforces of the law, taking down rebels and purists left and right, soon becoming known to all as the Hounds of Britannia. At the age of fourteen, Lucian became a Warrant Officer, taking down six Gloucesters with a Burai in a single firefight, proving to inherit not only Kallen's piloting skills, but also Lelouch's strategic mind. Two years later, he became a Second Lieutenant and placed in the Zero Squad, or more well known these days as the Royal Guard, hand-picked by Kallen Stadtfeld-Kouzuki, the current Knight of Two and the Empress, Nunnally vi Britannia herself.

And yet, for the life of him, Lucian couldn't remember how he ended up in such a wrecked place. The obvious thing to do was gather information, and that meant looking for life. He took his leave from the warehouse, making sure to activate the Susano'o's cloaking system before heading out to the streets. There was hardly anyone around, and what few he saw were dressed in ragged clothes, some with bandages and crutches.

Because of his looks, he was treated with some mild hostility at first, that is until he explained that his father was Britannian and his mother was a halfer with Japanese blood in her, thus making him one-third Japanese. To his surprise, the people he spoke to displayed looks of shock being called by their true names rather than that god-awful number that Britannia had slapped on them several years ago.

However, no matter who he asked, he always received the same answer: the Shinjuku Ghetto in Area 11.

'_This doesn't make sense.'_ Lucian thought, walking away from the nineteenth person to give him that answer. _'After aunt Nunnally became Empress, she made all Areas into Special Administrative Zones, and like father, abolished the nobility system. Everyone, regardless of their nationality, was equal. There wasn't any discrimination, hell there were plenty of people at my school who were Japanese, and were called as such... Just where am I?'_

He sighed in irritation, scratching his scalp before noticing that a small boy, looking out of place in such a desolate place with a grin on his face and waving about a newspaper in his hand. "Extra, extra! Get the latest news!" Lucian smiled somewhat as he beckoned the boy over, taking out some money from his pocket. "Here you go!"

"_Arigato_." Lucian thanked the boy in Japanese, earning a look of shock from the small boy. He supposed it was natural, considering he looked Britannian. "My mother was half-Japanese, so..."

"Oh, I get it!" the boy nodded a second later, regaining his grin before running off with more newspapers in hand. Lucian had to say, the boy could brighten the place up if he worked hard at it. He unfolded the newspaper in his hand and opened it up, taking a look at the ads and events listed before looking at the date. His eyes widened to the point where they threatened to pop out before he rubbed them, as if making sure of something.

Sure enough, printed right at the top, was "August 14th, 2017".

'_I don't believe this...'_ Lucian thought in disbelief, folding the newspaper up and placing it on a small place to sit before asking another for the date and year. Sure enough, he got the same answer again, and yet he could hardly believe that he was well over sixteen years in the past. _'How could I have ended up in the past? And why was I in the Susano'o? What was I doing before this?'_

Sighing again, he looked over at the newer looking buildings, recalling that, before the infamous F.L.E.I.J.A bombing that decimated the entire Tokyo Settlement, there was a city where Honorary Britannians could work and attend school, with the exception of all-Britannian learning facilities, such as Ashford Academy. It was ironic, considering he was attending the very same school, and had to deal with several people who, according to Kallen, took too much after their parents.

Hoping he could find answers, Lucian made his way towards the Settlement, though the only means of transport was via light train. He received a few glances, wondering why a Britannian would be in the ghettos, but he couldn't care less. He had to figure out how he got here, and why.

It was during the ride that he recalled a few things. _'Right, I had almost forgot... 2017 was the year when Zero first appeared. If I remember right, according to mother and Uncle Ohgi, the first time he showed up was during the massacre of the Shinjuku ghetto. That was right around...'_ Lucian's eyes widened upon realization before shaking his head. _'No, get those thoughts out of your head. Father is...'_

The image of Lelouch vi Britannia came into his mind, though he knew it was but a phantom of his mind. And yet, he longed to see that image: his father holding him in his arms, smiling down with his mother at his side, both of them looking at him lovingly like any parents would.

If he could change things, could he see that?

Lucian was conflicted by these thoughts, wondering what would be the consequences of his actions, and what would be the benefits. If he could change the past, then perhaps he could change the lives of everyone around him, whether for better or worse.

He could prevent the deaths of Shirley Fenette and her father Joseph, who perished at the battle of Narita.

He could prevent the Special Administrative Zone of Japan Massacre and the death of Euphemia li Britannia.

He could prevent Suzaku Kururugi from betraying Lelouch for the Emperor.

He could prevent the F.L.E.I.J.A bombing and the death of Rolo Lamperouge.

He could prevent the betrayal of the Black Knights upon learning about Lelouch's Geass.

He could even prevent the Zero Requiem from ever happening...

Each thought seemed so enticing, so much so that Lucian had nearly forgotten that he had reached his stop. Quickly making his way out the door, he decided to think more about his actions and their consequences before doing anything. If he were to change anything, he could cause problems within the future, almost like a paradox.

Of course, he also had to find out how it is he ended up in the past, and why he was sent here. Who or whatever brought him to the past had made sure to bring his Knightmare along for the ride, and for that, he was thankful. In a way, the machine was like his partner, one he would rather die than leave behind in the dust. Besides, he was too attached to the thing to leave it.

Plus, if he did actually abandon it, Lloyd and Rakshata would kill him, and he wasn't about to test his luck on that particular matter.

As he walked through the Settlement, he saw how biased the place was, and realized how much his aunt had changed Britannia for the better. Everywhere he looked, he saw people living in a discriminate world, Honorary Britannians looked down upon as if they were trash, and full-blooded Britannians acting smug before being knocked down a peg.

Perhaps it was a good thing the Zero Requiem came about.

'_Still, if this really is the past, then the question I should be asking is when I was sent back.'_ Lucian thought, thinking of possibilities and variables within his head as he folded his arms, one hand at his chin with his eyes drooped down. _'Obviously the Shinjuku Ghetto Massacre hasn't occurred yet, so that means this is probably back when father was still a student.'_ At that thought, he wondered what his father was like.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice he was walking straight at someone. By the time he realized it, it was too late, and both him and the person he stumbled into were knocked to the ground. "Oof!" Lucian grunted, sent down to the ground and smacking against his rear. "Owww..."

"H-hey, that's more my line!" a rather familiar voice rung out. Lucian, rubbing his sore bottom, looked up to see a boy wearing the Ashford Academy uniform rubbing his face, having been walking backwards before slamming into him. He wore a pair of red gloves and a helmet on his head with a pair of goggles, his hair blue and wild.

If not for the fact that his hair was short, and that this was seventeen years ago, Lucian would mistake him for his friend Alex Cardemonde, though if he had to guess, he would have to say that the boy in front of him was his father, Rivalz. It appeared that Alex took on much of his father's traits, especially the fact that both, apparently, had motorcycle licenses.

"Why don't you watch where you're..." Rivalz started to say, but as soon as he saw Lucian's face, he trailed off in sync with his eyes widening. "Ho-ly crap..."

"Rivalz, something wrong?"

Lucian's breath hitched as he saw someone walk up from behind the boy. He was the same age as he was, dressed in an Ashford Academy uniform as well, except his hair was neatly combed to the left, and his defining feature was his regal face and his purple eyes.

As soon as the look-alike saw Lucian, his eyes widened. "Well, this is a first." Lucian's father remarked, earning a nod in response from Rivalz before the former offered his hand. "You okay?"

Lucian had been staring at his father in surprise for so long that he didn't notice his hand in front of him. His aunt and mother had not been kidding when they said he was the spitting image of Lelouch vi Britannia, and standing before him was living proof. He finally snapped back to reality and took Lelouch's hand, standing up straight.

After a second or two, Rivalz Cardemonde came out of his shock and looked at Lucian's father incredulously. "Dude, why didn't you tell me you had a twin brother?!" he whined, arms flailing around. "You could have used him to take your place when we sneak out!"

"Rivalz, I'd appreciate it if you didn't say such things." Lelouch vi Britannia said with a wry smile on his face. "I don't have a brother, the only family I have is Nunnally. You know that. Although..." he looked back at Lucian, examining him head to toe. "Seeing someone who looks very much like you is quite the experience."

"O-oh, um..." Lucian scratched his cheek, unsure how to respond. He was pretty sure the two would think he was crazy if he outright told them the truth, so he decided to try and act out the part he had for now. "The feeling is mutual."

"So, did you skip school or something?" Rivalz Cardemonde asked with a grin, hands behind his head as the three moved along to avoid oncoming traffic. "Or are you just starting?"

And there was the question. He figured it would come up sooner or later. "I'm a transfer from Area Five." Lucian told the two. "Lucian Spacer, at your service."

The name of Spacer was actually an alias used by his father during the events of the Shinjuku massacre. When found by Villetta Nu-Ohgi, he used the name of Alan Spacer to avoid suspicion, though it did little good as Villetta suspected him for quite a while since then.

"Lucian, huh?" Rivalz Cardemonde said, probably about to make a remark about how his name sounded. In Britannian, the name meant "black hope", just as Lelouch meant "king". "Odd name, no offence."

"None taken." Lucian assured him. As they walked, Lucian seemed to have gained a better grasp on his father, though he learned that the saying 'like father, like son' was indeed accurate.

Both of them loved to skip class and gamble arrogant gits, however the majority of skipped classes was more for getting a better feel for the Susano'o than anything else. His mother could understand, but she didn't let him off the hook so easily. Instead of the 'Guren treatment', she had Suzaku and Tohdoh put him through the wringer, saying it was for the day when he had to rely on his body rather than his weapon. It was during that time that Lucian and Suzaku had truly bonded, and had practically become good friends despite the age difference. Suzaku had even taught him his own technique, which was easier said than done to perform it to such a degree.

"So, what's the Student Council like?" Lucian asked out of curiosity, though going by what his mother said, he was pretty sure it was going to be something very akin to what he was in.

"Well, there's the President, Milly Ashford." Rivalz Cardemonde began listing each person off. "She loves to tease everyone, and has dirt on every person in the school... well, almost everyone." he nudged his head at Lelouch. "There's Shirley Fenette, who handles our finances. She's a real airhead, oh, and by the way..." he leaned in and whispered in Lucian's ear. "She has a crush on Lelouch."

That sounded a bit like his own time's Student Council. The President was Marribel Ashford, the daughter of Rivalz Cardemonde and Milly Ashford. She was the incarnation of lazy and laid back, though she was also very perverted and had blackmail material on every student in Ashford, save Lucian. Her younger brother, Alex Cardemonde, was the secretary, and acted very much like his father Rivalz: laid back and carefree. There was also Sophia Harrison, who was probably his timeline's version of Shirley Fenette.

"Then we have Nina Einstein, our secretary. She's pretty shy and reclusive, and she's always on her computer, but... Oh, and she's the smartest girl in the whole school!"

Another person Lucian knew who had a child. He didn't know much about Nina Einstein, other than she was how Rivalz described, but from what he recalled from his mother's tales, she had a strong fear of Japanese due to a traumatic experience, but she had gotten over it thanks to a boy she had been dating for a while after the Zero Requiem, and eventually married. Their child was Al Einstein, named after the inventor Albert Einstein. He was like his mother, shy and reclusive, and he didn't talk all that much, however he and Lucian got along very well.

"And finally, last but not least, there's me, the Secretary, and our Vice-President, Lelouch Lamperouge!" Rivalz Cardemonde exclaimed with a face-splitting grin, though Lelouch ignored him and delved into the small leather-bound book in his hand. Alex had filled his father's shoes in Lucian's timeline, and ironically, Lucian filled his father's as the Vice-President. "So, are you thinking about joining? Word of warning, the welcoming parties are pretty extreme."

Lucian had to think about that for a moment. If he went through with this, he could get to know everyone very much better, and he could probably learn more about Shirley Fenette, seeing as how she was his father's first crush. From what he was told from Suzaku Kururugi, her crush on his father was just as big as the Empire of Britannia in its full glory. However, because of a misunderstanding, she had been shot and killed by Rolo, who believed she wanted to kill Lelouch. If he went through with all of this, he could prevent that from ever happening, however...

What would happen then? Would he cease to exist? He had still yet to learn the full story behind his birth, but according to his mother, he had been quite the surprise, as she had not learned that she was pregnant with him until shortly after the Zero Requiem had been carried out. Suffice to say, when everyone learned about it, there was mixed feelings. Tamaki wanted to find a way to bring Lelouch back to life and kick his sorry ass for getting his best friend's sister pregnant while Ohgi and Villetta knew how much the redhead loved the man, so they supported her. Suzaku promised to help the child out as much as he could, as that would have been what Lelouch would have wanted for her, and Tohdoh said nothing, though according to Chiba, he was wondering what it would be like to play the role of a parent.

If Shirley Fenette ended up with his father, would he be replaced? Or would he still be around? Every possibility and variable was so different that Lucian had no idea what was more likely, but for the time being, he decided to think about that for later. "I might, though if what you say is true, then I feel like I'm walking right into a mad house..."

Lucian's father laughed at that, saying he had practically hit the nail on the head.

It wouldn't be long, Lucian realized, that things would begin to turn the way history had gone. Of course, whatever fate had in store, he would be sure to overcome it, and grant the world his father deserved to see. Ever since hearing about what sort of man his father, he knew that someone like him had deserved to life, that he deserved to live in the world he created from the ashes of the one he destroyed. And he would make damn sure he would get to see it.

After all, he was the Black Prince of Britannia, son of the Demon Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia, and Kallen Kouzuki-Stadtfeld, the Crimson Lotus of Japan and the Knight of Two.

Intro END

_Next Time:_ First Shift: Lucian vi Britannia


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary:** Lucian Kouzuki never knew his father, only that he was the most selfless person this world had ever known. He pretended to be a demon so that he could bring peace. However, when given the chance to change everything, will he save his father from the darkness? Or will history repeat itself? This is the paradox that has appeared before the Twelfth Prince of Britannia.

Code Geass: Lucian of the Paradox

**Author's Notes:** Well, here is the second chapter of LoP, though I hope I haven't been very horrible. Seriously, I think my first CG time travel fic R-eset is better than this. But, I'll continue sticking it out and see this through, along with Lost Colors -A New Translation- and my other fics. I should have the second chapter of The Miraculous Birthday done sometime next week. Also, someone asked me why Lucian was hesitating... Well, think about it this way. In some way or another, Lelouch had feelings for Shirley that much is obvious if her death scene wasn't a clue, though if looked at the interactions between Lelouch and Kallen, you can definitely see romance. Of course, since Shirley's dead and all, I had to change things and make Lucian Kallen's child, though I can assure you, she'll still be around.

Back on topic, his hesitation comes from the feared Butterfly Effect: any actions that alter the past will alter the future as well. He fears that, if he manages to divert Shirley's death, the chances of Lelouch and Shirley getting together become extremely high, and worries that he may not exist. Question answered.

First Shift: Lucian vi Britannia

Lucian had to admit, had he known his father was going to get stuck inside of a truck that was being hijacked by his mother, he would consider that their first date. He could remember bits and pieces about their first meeting from his mother and Tamaki and Ohgi, but he never really understood any of it since he was only seven at the time. Now that he was older, he could see that, when she said that they first met inside of a truck, his mother had not been kidding.

Unfortunately, the truck had managed to get free just after his father fell inside. Realizing where this was going, Lucian hauled his body back to the ghetto where the Susano'o was waiting for him. _'Assuming my being here hasn't changed anything, then the plan will carry out like it had seventeen years ago.'_ he thought before a grin that would literally make those who saw it think of Lelouch vi Britannia made its way on his face. _'Of course, I would really love to see Sir Gottwald's face when he sees the Susano'o up close and personal. If memory serves correctly, mother was piloting a red Glasgow before being given free ride to the Guren Mk-II.'_

He ignored the looks of shock from people as he jumped unto the roof of the train and rode it into the ghetto, keeping his body lowered and his legs spaced apart, waiting for the opportunity to jump off. If he gauged this correctly, he could reach the warehouse in a short amount of time, though he would have to be pretty acrobatic and careful about this. One wrong move, and he'd be flattened.

It was after another light train passed by that Lucian took the leap, and braced himself for impact. He moved his body so that he would land on his shoulder, of course at such a height the impact would break it without a doubt, however this was if you had little to not military training experience. Lucian had developed plenty of that, courtesy of his martial arts teacher Kyoshiro Tohdoh and his uncle Suzaku Kururugi. Though there a brief flare of pain, Lucian could ignore it for now and ran as quickly as he could towards the warehouse.

It would not be long before the massacre would be issued. _'Now, if I was the third prince of Britannia, where would I be...'_ Lucian thought, trying to think of a way to end the massacre more efficiently than the plan his father had used. _'It would probably in a heavily guarded area with at least fifteen to twenty Sutherlands and armed to the teeth with heavy artillery.'_ The black haired prince of Britannia turned around the corner, and the warehouse in his sights. _'If I reveal myself to them, they would probably see me as an ally, especially if I say I'm with father... but would he go along with it?'_

That was only kink in the plan. If he revealed himself to the resistance group that would soon become the Black Knights, there was no guarantee that Lelouch vi Britannia would accept him, it all boiled down to luck, as unfortunate as it was. However, Lucian did have some leverage over that little detail, and that was his Knightmare. Both Rakshata and Lloyd considered the Susano'o as the child of the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N and the Lancelot Albion, as it possessed both of their technology. Its arms, though small in size, were equipped with a special variant of the Radiant Wave Surger, albeit significantly weaker than the S.E.I.T.E.N, and it also carried the same maneuverability as the Lancelot, possessing the special "wings" from both units. However, it's true feature came with a special request: a piece of the Shinkiro.

The end result? Wings + Radiant Wave Surge + Absolute Defense Field = Strongest Knightmare PERIOD. It was one of the many reasons why he glad to have inherited his mother's love for Knightmares, he truly was.

When he reached the warehouse, he saw the faint outline of his Susano'o sitting behind the large crates, kneeling down and waiting for instructions. Lucian smiled, already thinking of his father's face once he saw it. After all, this was one of a kind, hell even Kyoshiro Tohdoh agreed with that statement, saying that the Susano'o was truly the embodiment of Japan, and even recommended Lucian to be its pilot, despite the decision for him to be its exclusive Devicer having already been decided. However, the twelfth prince didn't have time to remember the past. Already disengaging the cloaking system, Lucian jumped on its body before slipping into the cockpit located on its back.

The lid closed with a hiss, and the seat moved downward and forward, positioning Lucian's face in front of the monitor. Much like any Knightmare, a motto appeared on the screen above the name of the unit. "Shattered Blade of Fate" scrolled at the top before the warehouse was shown, leaving Lucian to grab hold of the controls. "Well, here we go..." he said to no in particular, as if speaking to the Knightmare.

He took a deep breath as he felt all the tension in his body vanish, and glared hard at the screen with blazing eyes. "Lucian Kouzuki in Susano'o, heading out!"

~~~Scene Break~~~

Lelouch vi Britannia had to admit, he rather liked how this was going. First he met someone who looked just like him, Lucian if he recalled correctly, then he falls inside of a truck that was apparently hijacked by terrorists, meeting his friend who had become an Honorary Britannian since he last saw him, meeting a girl who was trapped inside of a capsule and mistaken for poison gas, and gaining a power that practically allowed him to control anyone he wanted via direct eye contact. And now, here he was, inside of a Knightmare directing a bunch of terrorists. There were a few things he could gain from this, such as followers who could help him bring down Britannia, and get rid of Clovis for what he had done.

It was just after the red Glasgow had jumped on the train as he ordered her too that he moved his Sutherland into a space where he could get a good shot at her two pursuers. He carefully aimed the rifle at where they would follow, though the controls were still a bit difficult for him to use. He certainly wasn't used to being inside a Knightmare. And who in the hell made these controls so difficult?! How could his mother even pilot these damned things?!

It was just as the enemy Sutherlands came into view that Lelouch tensed. He was likely to kill them, something he had never done before. If he couldn't stomach it, he may as well throw in the towel right here! He looked at the Sutherland at the back, following the leader. He was likely to jump on from the back and pursue the woman in the Glasgow from there. Instead of shooting, he would fire off his slash harkens and blow off a leg unit and the head. He wouldn't die, instead he would have to eject unless he likes dying.

That was the plan he was going for... until something dropped down and slashed the damned thing down the middle. "What the hell?!" Lelouch leaned in forward, shock present on his face. How the hell didn't this thing show up on his radar?! It was after his shock began to dwindle that he got a look at the machine, and his jaw promptly dropped.

It was a black Knightmare with white trims, its design heavily resembling that of a Samurai, a pair of crimson katanas in each hand, and like all Knightmares, the cockpit was located on the back. "What in the world is that...?" Lelouch frowned, watching the Sutherland explode while the new machine just stood there, as if glaring at the first one. He imagined the man's surprise exceeded his own. The pilot raised the rifle and opened fire.

Lelouch had expected a lot of things, but what he didn't expect was the bullets to rebound off a wall of light that appeared in front of the Knightmare. "A shield? No, it's something else..." Lelouch eyed the machine carefully, watching it burst forward and jam its blades into the open space between the torso and the shoulders. Using the newfound momentum, the black Knightmare let go of the blades and swing his arms downward, bring the blades down in an 'x' fashion. The pilot managed to eject before the Sutherland exploded. "Incredible..."

He didn't know what it was, but he was interested in it now. Instead of going after the Glasgow, it went after the Sutherlands, meaning that it was possibly with the terrorists. However, if this was indeed true, then how did the rebels get their hands on such a machine? "If I truly do gain their support, then I'll have the chance to get my hands on it, as well as the pilot..." Lelouch thought with a demonic grin on his face. "That shield... I've never seen anything like it. It might be my ultimate trump card..."

"_Who the hell are you?!"_ This caused Lelouch to frown, hearing the Glasgow pilot's voice over the radio. Did that mean he wasn't with the resistance cell? If that was the case, was he with another group, possibly the Japan Liberation Force that his combat instructor Kyoshiro Tohdoh was in?

"_If you want something to call me, then I suppose Susano'o will suffice."_ Lelouch's frown deepened when he heard the voice. It sounded very familiar, as if he had heard the voice somewhere before. _"I'm an ally of that man on the radio."_

'_Wait, what?'_ Now Lelouch was confused. Just what the heck did they mean by that? Did they know him from somewhere? Wait, how did they know him anyway? Did they see him before? Was it when he used this new power of his? _'Wait, this might work to my advantage...'_ Lelouch pondered, a hand to his chin. _'He says he is my ally, despite the confusion going around. That Knightmare is obviously a new model, and powerful as well... I have no choice but to go along with what he says. Besides, who knows? He may be telling the truth. And if he is...'_ And there it was again, that fiendish grin of his that would soon earn him such infamy. _'Then I finally have my ace in the hole.'_

Shortly after that little interaction between the Glasgow pilot and this Susano'o character, the other resistance members had arrived. The leader of the group looked to be in his early twenties with black hair done in a semi-afro style, and like all the other members, he had a red headband around his forehead. "Kallen, are you alright?" the man asked in worry as the red-haired Glasgow pilot removed herself from the machine. It was then that he noticed the black Knightmare, and his jaw promptly dropped. "What in the...?!"

"Ohgi, it's fine!" the woman, Kallen, assured them. "This guy saved me! He says he's working with that man on the radio!"

Another member, a redhead like Kallen, glared at the machine with a fierce snarl. "Hey, why don't you get out of that thing already?!"

'_Right, as if he would do that...'_ Lelouch mused, only to face-fault when the cockpit slid open with a hiss. _'Wait, is he serious?! That idiot, he's going... to...'_ Whatever thoughts he had began dying when Susano'o emerged from the cockpit. He was young, wearing a white leather jacket with black trims and dark jeans, a dark pink v-neck shirt underneath the jacket with a blue scarf wrapped around his neck. However, it was the face that caught Lelouch's eye.

"Well, I'll be damned."

~~~Scene Break~~~

Kallen couldn't help but stare at this Susano'o as he literally jumped off the Knightmare without any use of the stirrup for descent. He looked the same age as her, and his posture suggested someone with military experience or training, most likely the latter. He certainly knew how to dress, however it was when she saw his face that she couldn't help but wonder if the two had met somewhere before.

His hair was as black as the feathers of a crow with the bangs hiding his right eye from the world, while his left was the same color as hers. He took a brief look at her, and surprise made its way onto his face for only a second before it vanished. However, this was not the problem.

The problem was that this boy was Britannian.

"You've gotta be shittin' me!" Tamaki growled as he stalked toward the boy. "The hell's a Britannian doin' here?!"

The boy sighed, face palming at her idiot friend's statement. "That's rather obvious, _baka_." Kallen and a few others stared at the boy in surprise. He had just spoken Japanese, and very fluently as well, as if it was second nature to him. "I'm here to put a stop to all of this."

Ohgi held Tamaki back from punching the boy in the face, however he was still eyeing him carefully. "Sorry, but you have to understand that we've suffered a lot of grief from Britannia, so seeing a Britannian here is..."

Susano'o nodded in understanding. "I know, that's why me and my partner intend to put an end to that. Also, I'm only two-thirds Britannian." Everyone blinked, including Kallen, who just stared at the boy in wonder. "My mother is half-Japanese."

"And your father is Britannian?" Kallen spluttered out in shock. Being a half-breed was surprising, but to hear someone say that their parent was one is even more surprising. "How in the world...?"

Susano'o shrugged his shoulders. "Let's just say my family is very complicated. Now, I do believe we should be getting to work. I think he's starting to get very impatient right about now."

"_And you're correct, Susano'o."_ Kallen jumped when she heard the man's voice break in over Ohgi's radio. _"I assume you are the leader?"  
><em>

"Y-yes, sir..." Ohgi stuttered, scratching the back of his head. "You're his partner?"

"_That I am. I had him procure that train, so why not take a look inside? Think of its contents as your tools for victory."_ the man informed them with a calm tone, yet at the same time, sharp like a knife. Ohgi looked at Susano'o for any possible signs of deceit, but the boy nodded at him as if saying it was okay. With that, Tamaki and another member, Sugiyama, undid the locks on the freight cars and opened the doors.

"W-what the hell?!" Kallen stammered, eyes going to the sizes of saucers when she saw the doors slide open to reveal fully armed Sutherlands, armed with rifles. "These are... Sutherlands!"

"_Pilot of the Glasgow."_ the man said after a few seconds of ogling. _"How much energy do you have left?"_

"About fifteen minutes, I think."

"_Then recharge. You and you're unit will be running. I'll contact you again in ten minutes, best prepare. Oh, and Susano'o?"_

"_Hai_?"

"_I'm counting on you."_

With that, communications went offline. Everyone looked back at each other and then back at the black Knightmare used by Susano'o, and then at the Sutherlands. Tamaki looked at Susano'o with a grin that only he could pull off. "Dude, I have no idea who you and you're partner are, but you guys are okay in my book!"

Susano'o chuckled before walking back to his Knightmare. "Hey, wait a second!" Kallen shouted behind him. The boy stopped and looked over his shoulder. For some reason, Kallen could barely find the right words as she rubbed her hands together nervously. "Um... thanks... For saving me, I mean."

Susano'o smiled at her, a smile that looked very natural on him. "It was my pleasure."

With that, the boy turned on his heel. Kallen couldn't hear it, but he had muttered it under his breath shortly after he said those words.

"_...Mother."_

~~~Scene Break~~~

"So, his mother is half-Japanese and his father is Britannian?" Lelouch said once again, a large grin on his face as he leaned back in his Sutherland, which was placed at a location where he could get a clear view of the ghetto while remaining within contact range at all times. "I have to say, Lucian, you are truly a mystery. You claim to be my ally when we have never met, you control a Knightmare of unknown potential, and you willingly exposed yourself, knowing full well the anger harbored within them..."

Lelouch didn't know why he trusted him. He was just some stranger that would be transferring to his school come tomorrow, and yet he knew that Lucian wouldn't betray him. Had Lelouch met him somewhere before? A long lost twin, perhaps?

When that last thought came to him, he let out a laugh. "That would be interesting... a twin brother that I had no idea existed. Well, if it is that, I had better hope he's not one of those stereotypical evil twins." Lelouch joked before punching in the radio frequency used by the resistance. "It's time. I'll be issuing your codenames now."

~~~Scene Break~~~

"_The woman in the red Glasgow will be Q-1. The leader of your group along with three of his choosing will be B-3. The red-haired man and six others will be P-5. The remaining units will be called C-2 and N-4. I will be called K-1."_

"And your Susano'o friend?" Ohgi asked curiously, realizing that the boy had not been given a codename.

"_He will be referred to as S-0."_

Lucian let out a silent laugh, recalling that was his call sign during a small uprising near the Chinese Federation, a revolt from supporters of the late eunuchs who could not accept peace with Britannia, despite the death of the Demon Emperor.

Once he was back inside his Knightmare, his mind went over the plan that his father had no doubt set up already at this point. Since his Sutherland belonged to Villetta Ohgi, or rather Villetta Nu at this point in time, he had access to all Britannian IFF signals that were being used by Clovis and his entourage. Thus, it would make things very simple in tracking down the enemy.

"Wait, aren't these chess references?" Sugiyama noted aloud, causing Lucian to falter. Now that he thought about it, his mother's friend was correct. Q-1 was an obvious reference to a Queen, with K-1 as King, though if he had to guess, S-0 probably meant the name he was going by for the time being.

"Hold up, if I'm P-5, then..." Tamaki realized, and promptly threw a tantrum. "The hell?! I ain't no one's pawn, ya sleazy bastard!"

"Hah, then I guess I'm the Queen then!" Lucian's mother gloated, though Lucian could tell it was more of a jab at her friend. It worked to infuriate him, asking her if she wanted him to come over there and kick her butt, but Ohgi and another, Yoshida, stood between the two and focus on Lelouch's orders.

The little banter helped a great deal to ease the tension, leaving Lucian to focus back on the mission. _"Q-1 will be running decoy. Six Sutherlands will follow after her via ground level. B-3 and his unit will shoot through the wall when I give the order."_ his father informed them. _"A back-up troop will try to flank on the East and West side using the abandoned apartments. P-5 and N-4 will use their explosives to collapse the buildings. Another unit will try to attack us from the rear. S-0 and C-2 will engage them while B-3, P-5, and N-4 complete their assigned tasks."_

"Wait, how the hell does he know all that?" Sugiyama wondered aloud in amazement. "Is he some kind of psychic?"

"No, K-1 has a strategic mind is all." Lucian told them over the radio. "Also, his Sutherland can track the IFF signals of all enemy Knightmares, seeing as how his is stolen while yours haven't been programmed yet."

"Well, when this is all over, you had better introduce us to your partner, got it?!" Tamaki said, still peeved at Kallen for her remark earlier. Lucian nodded, telling the resistance that they will be meeting K-1 sometime soon. Of course, that would be before Suzaku Kururugi's scheduled execution. However, if this went as planned, then perhaps his court martial wouldn't even happen to begin with. Although, as much as Lucian wanted to be an optimist, he knew there was no chance of him ever becoming that lucky.

"_Now then..."_ Lelouch vi Britannia, or rather "Zero", said. Lucian could see the confidence the was expressed in his voice, along with the grin that was on his father's face. His grip on the controls tightened for a brief second before snapping his attention to the front. _'Father... You will get to see the world you made, I promise.'_

"_Let's begin."_

~~~Scene Break~~~

When Clovis saw that Knightmare, he knew that his plans were going down the drain. He didn't understand how it was that the enemy could read each one of his moves so easily, as if he were an open book that could be easily read without the cover being flipped. It was almost as if he were playing against his brother Schneizel-no, the strategy wasn't that good, but it was close to it. "What the hell sort of Knightmare is that?!" one of the soldiers on deck shouted as they watched their Sutherlands being torn apart like they were sand paper. "Who the hell are we fighting?!"

"Dammit, at this rate..." Clovis bit his lower lip, his thoughts going to that immortal witch he had managed to capture. Code-R had practically revolved around her and that boy he had found in the Thought Elevator. He thought about sending the boy out, however when he recalled that brat's temperament towards him and the soldiers, he knew that it was a bad idea. There was no guarantee that he would join up with these rebels, and he sure as hell wasn't about to lose one of his best soldiers. After all, the boy had no place to go. But, of course, that wasn't the only reason.

Clovis didn't want to lose him, though it was mostly for sentimental reasons. If he lost him now, Schneizel would be angry beyond words, and the Emperor was likely to disown him like he had with...

When he recalled his younger brother's face, a look of pain etched across his eyes. "Lelouch..." he muttered under his breath, the grip on the armrests of his throne tightening. "You must be here somewhere... I know you are..."

"_Goooooood morning everyone!"_ Clovis was snapped out of his thoughts when a rather annoying jovial voice broke over the monitor, revealing a young man with white hair, wearing a military issue coat with the armband for the Camelot unit on the right bicep. _"And how are we this fine day?"_

"What do you want, Asplund?" Bartley growled, showing his displeasure for the man while Clovis narrowed his eyes at the man. Now that he remembered, Lloyd had been developing a machine that had been classified as the first 7th-Generation Knightmare, Lancelot if he recalled correctly. "We're in the middle of a-"

"Earl Asplund." Clovis cut off his general sternly before standing up with a serious expression. "Can your toy... can my brother's weapon defeat them and their black Knightmare?"

Lloyd developed a giant grin upon hearing those words. _"Please, call it Lancelot, my dear Prince."_

Clovis scowled inwardly, hoping he hadn't made the wrong choice. He had to retrieve that woman as quickly as possible, before things became even more out of hand.

~~~Scene Break~~~

Lucian could only gape at the scene in front of him. One by one, each enemy's IFF signals blinked out as the Sutherlands fell down into the expanding hole. "Forget check," Kaname Ohgi said in awe. "This guy could make check-mate."

Lucian knew that he had inherited his father's talents for strategy, however when he saw this, he couldn't even hold up a candle to what he did. He had only five years of such experience, while his father spend most of his life gaining funds for his rebellion via gambling with nobles with lots of spare change in their pockets. _'I knew that father was incredible, but this speaks whole other volumes of what he is capable of. Little wonder he earned the moniker The Man of Miracles.'_

However, he knew that this event would soon bring out Zero's most hated enemy, as well as his best friend: Suzaku Kururugi. It wouldn't be long before the Lancelot would be deployed, however there was one good thing about this situation that worked in Lucian's favor. It was the fact that this was the first Lancelot, not the Conquista or the Albion. The Conquista was equipped with a float system, as well as an enhancer for its VARIS rifle, allowing to blast through even the Guren MK-II's Radiant Wave Shield, created by the Radiant Surger. The Albion was, for all intents and purposes, a true monster in the making as it was capable of decimating the Knights of the Round with such terrifying ease. Of course, if it had any true equal, it was the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N.

The Susano'o was an 11th-Generation Knightmare, and it was capable of handling the S.E.I.T.E.N and the Albion simultaneously. Fighting against the Lancelot when it was still in its 7th-Generation would be too easy.

It was a good two minutes before the Lancelot had appeared, coming in straight from the Northwest side and taking out C-2 and N-4. The appearance of the white Knightmare had already reached his father's ears as Suzaku made his way through the ghetto, cutting down any Sutherland in his path. However, there was a stark contrast between the Suzaku of this timeline and the Suzaku of the current.

As the new Zero, Suzaku was silent, strong, and vicious on the battlefield. While he lacked the same strategic prowess that his childhood friend had, he made up for it with strength. He also had the support of the Black Knights, who served as an elite group within the Britannian military, taking down criminal elements like they had years ago and fighting against any possible invaders that tried to disrupt the peace his father died to create. Suzaku was willing to take a life, in fact it almost seemed second nature to him, and because of this, the second incarnation of Zero did not earn the moniker as the Man of Miracles, rather this one had become known as the Black Demon of Britannia

However, the Suzaku in the past was none of these things. Back then, he believed that the system could be changed from within, and wanted equality among the Britannians and the Numbers. It was his bond with his father that had allowed him to take such a path, however everything had changed with Euphemia li Britannia's death, turning him into a cold and bitter person, which resulted in him becoming the Knight of Seven, otherwise known as the White Death of Britannia. Thankfully, since this was the very beginning of the tale of Zero, Suzaku Kururugi was still naive and foolish.

Lucian moved in quickly, the Susano'o slamming down before the Lancelot and drawing its MVS Katanas from its hips, whipping them out in an x-shaped fashion. He could tell from where Suzaku was standing that he was looking at the machine with a mix of fear and awe. According to Rakshata, the reason she designed the Susano'o to look like a Samurai was because of their fierce nature and strength, as well as their loyalty to their lords. It was also because of their code of Bushido, the morals and the way of the warrior.

A knight of chivalry standing against a warrior with morals... it seemed rather fitting. Lucian's right eye peered out through his bangs, staring intently at the Lancelot. Neither machine had yet to move, as if each was waiting for the other to act and respond in kind.

"Uncle... This time... I won't lose to you."

~~~Scene Break~~~

"Okay, now I _know_ that Knightmare was made by Elevens." Suzaku said without thinking, staring at the black Knightmare in a mix of disbelief and shock. He had heard about the mecha before, but seeing it up close made the Honorary Britannian realize how intimidating it looked. It had black armor with white trims, however what struck out the most was its design, closely resembling that of a Japanese Samurai. It had even wielded their trademark sword, a katana. "Still, I won't lose to you!"

Lancelot made the first move, as if responding to Suzaku's will. The Knightmare didn't even move, it just simply raised one of its swords at him before raising the other, flipping it around and holding it in an underhand fashion. Suzaku had no idea what it was planning, but he wasn't about to let him go through with his plan.

The Lancelot mimicked Suzaku's technique perfectly, jumping off the ground and twirling in the air, its leg ready to deliver a backspin kick that he hoped would knock the pilot out. However, to his shock, the Lancelot's attack had been stopped by what could only be described as a wall of red light. "W-what in the?"

The wall disappeared, and the Black Samurai took the initiative, whirling its body around and slamming its leg into the Lancelot's torso. Suzaku felt the mecha shudder from the impact as the Lancelot was knocked back, though he quickly managed to help the Knightmare regain its balance before launching its slash harkens back at his adversary. However, as if expecting such a move, the black machine knocked them back with its swords with ease before shooting forward, blades ready to impale.

Suzaku could tell that, if he allowed the Lancelot to get damaged, he was pretty sure Lloyd was going to throw a temper tantrum for his beloved machine getting the crapped kick out of it, and the likely target for his venting was the one who allowed it to happen. Not wanting to get his ear ripped off, the Honorary Britannian met the challenge head on and took out the MVS blades. Lloyd said that they were still imperfect, but they had to do for now.

Sword met sword, fist met fist, and leg met leg. It took Suzaku a while to notice it, but he saw that each technique he used, the enemy mimicked perfectly, as if he used the same style. When he tried something different, the enemy would somehow move around it and counterattack, nearly catching him off guard. Whoever he was dealing with, they were incredibly skilled.

And yet...

"Why are you with these terrorists?" Suzaku asked as the Lancelot was shoved back from their latest skirmish. "You have such skills and abilities, so why do you try to take innocent lives?"

"_I could say the same to you, Suzaku Kururugi."_ Said youth's eyes widened. The voice of the enemy Devicer sounded young, probably around his age. However, what shocked him was that they knew who he was. _"You hold incredible prowess that belongs with the Knights of the Round, and yet here you are as a Britannian lapdog. I am unsure who weeps for you more, Lelouch vi Britannia or Genbu Kururugi."_

And that was when Suzaku felt his blood run cold. _'H-he knows!'_ he thought in horror. _'H-how could he have known about that?! I know for a fact that Father had kept Lelouch and Nunnally secret! The only ones who knew were Tohdoh-sensei and Lady Kaguya! Who in the hell _is _he?'_

"_Tell me, why do you serve Britannia?"_ the pilot asked him, though he could detect a knowing tone, as if he already knew the answer. _"Do you strive for power? You are a Number; you cannot advance as you are because of who you are. Do you wish for status? You already possess as much being the child of the former Prime Minister. Do you believe you can change the system from within? Britannia's way of life has existed for over two thousand years. Those like you have tried, and they either failed with their deaths or became just as corrupted as the ones they served. You are but one man. If you believe you can succeed where others have failed, then you are nothing but an arrogant fool, Kururugi."_

Suzaku could feel the grip on the controls thinning. The pilot of the black Knightmare had read him like an open book and had practically tore up what he believed in with words alone rather than strength. By now, he could see that his face was pale, and his body trembling. However, the man was not done yet, as he continued. Strangely, his tone was not harsh, nor cold. In fact, one could say it was devoid of any sort of emotion, like he was a doll or something.

"_You say I am a terrorist that thrives in the deaths of innocent people? What about you and your father? Genbu Kururugi had called for a do-or-die action against Britannia, willing to risk the lives of innocent people who had families and futures waiting for them. Had the plan gone through, many more than 12,348 lives would have been lost."_

Without even thinking, Suzaku blurted out in retaliation. "That's why he killed himself!"

"_Wrong, _you_ killed him."_ Suzaku's eyes had widened further, right to the point where it seemed like they would fall from their sockets. _"You had reasons, of course. You held the value of human life in regard, something Genbu Kururugi failed to see. However, that action caused you to think that you could atone for that action through death. But, tell me, would Lelouch vi Britannia be happy with that outcome? Would his sister, who was blind and crippled, be satisfied in knowing that the only true friend she had when their country invaded Japan died for some pipe dream? If so..." _Finally, Suzaku could hear malice seeping through the tiny cracks in the mask. _"Then you are nothing but a hypocrite."_

The Knightmare sheathed its weapons and turned around, its back facing the Lancelot. Suzaku had the perfect opportunity to attack him, however he was frozen in place. There he had gone again, shredding his desires and beliefs with mere words. It was as if this man had known him inside and out, as if he had known him his whole life. He knew that his family had taken the exiled royal members in their care, and he had even known that Suzaku was friends with the both of them. It had to be someone close to him, someone who knew all of these facts despite the limited number of people who knew the truth behind the vi Britannia siblings being there.

He was so shell-shocked, feelings so out of control, that he didn't even see his enemy moving away from him. He couldn't even hear Cecile's voice laced in worry shouting in the earpiece.

~~~Scene Break~~~

"We owe you and K-1 a great debt, more than you could ever imagine." Kaname Ohgi said, any suspicion he had now gone as he shook hands with Lucian. "I don't care if you are Britannian or otherwise, you saved a lot of lives today, and that is good enough for me."

Lucian couldn't help but smile as he retracted his hand, looking around the safe house for the refugees. Thankfully, his little conversation with Suzaku had bought enough time for his father to reach Clovis' command center. However, Lucian knew that it would take quite a bit of time before that could be accomplished, so he came here as a means of protection, as he recalled that, from his mother's point of view on the story, a military unit would be arriving any minute.

"Damn, you were awesome!" Tamaki exclaimed, wrapping his arm around the boy's neck. Lucian resisted the urge to groan, as he had done this all the time back in his original timeline. "You cut down those Brits like they were nothin'!"

"Sounds to me like Tamaki's in love." Kallen smirked, seeing her chance to get a few jabs at her friend. "I had no idea you swing that way."

"Hey, I do NOT swing that way!" Tamaki snarled back with a red face, letting of Lucian (much to his relief). "I am a perfectly healthy guy who likes women!"

"Yeah, whatever." Sugiyama snorted with the rest of the splinter cell, trying their best to keep their laughter down to avoid being detected. It would be a good while before they settled down. "Still, Ohgi's right. You may be more Britannian than Japanese, but you're okay in my book."

"_Arigato_, Sugiyama_-san_." Lucian bowed respectfully. Everyone stared at the boy wide-eyed, though Ohgi and Kallen smiled. Truly, this boy was more Japanese than he was Britannian. He would switch between languages as if he were doing it on sheer instinct.

However, there was a matter to be dealt with first. "Ohgi, have we managed to get a hold of K-1?" she asked. "I wanted to thank him as well."

Ohgi sighed; rubbing his neck with his hand while the other remained at his hip. "No, sorry. He hasn't answered any of my calls. Either something's happened to him, or he's out of range. Speaking of which, when are we gonna meet your partner, Susano'o?"

"Please, call me Lucian." the Black Prince of Britannia asked of them before replying, "He'll contact a few days, when though, I don't know. He likes to keep to himself."

"So... he doesn't trust you?" his mother asked him, frowning slightly. If they were partners, wouldn't they share information with each other out of trust, especially in regards to possible future operations?

"It isn't that." Lucian told her. "Zero, as he likes to call himself, tries to distance himself from others as best he can, but only out of protection for them. He has made many enemies, and all of them are either connected to the Imperial Family, or have close ties with the Emperor himself."

The entire resistance looked at Lucian as if he had just grown a second head, their eyes wide in bewilderment and jaws on the floor. "Wait, stop, hold it, time out!" Tamaki formed an X with his arms. "Are you telling me this friend of yours has enemies that are freaking _royalty_?!"

"Correct." Lucian nodded. "And something tells me that he's about to piss off those people even more with the stunt he's about to pull."

Ohgi frowned alongside Kallen, not liking his tone of voice. "What is he planning?"

The way he said it made it sound as if it were the simplest thing in the world, like it had little impact. "He's going to kill Viceroy Clovis la Britannia."

~~~Scene Break~~~

"I must say, you are by far the most interesting person I've ever met, Lucian Spacer..."

Lelouch was grinning from ear to ear as he walked through the halls of the G-1 Command Center, where his coward of a brother was waiting for him. Earlier, while he was still in his stolen Sutherland from that silver-haired Britannian woman, he received a transmission from Lucian regarding a new model Knightmare making its way towards him. He had managed to get a good glimpse of the machine, however he knew that, in comparison to his soon-to-be trump card, it was little more than a gnat.

And while on the subject of his look-alike, he knew instantly from that battle that he and the Glasgow pilot were pieces he had to get his hands on. This little stunt had earned him some trust with that resistance cell, however it appeared that he had quite a hold over Lucian. The boy trusted him completely, and despite the growing worry, Lelouch knew that he was going to be quite the force to be reckoned with if he meant what he said and allied himself with him.

It wasn't just his Knightmare piloting skills, but also his tactical skills. It was weaker than his own, but it was still probably enough to take on even the most skilled of soldiers. With a bit of honing, Lelouch knew that Lucian's skills would surpass his own, given the right amount of time. Hell, who knows? Maybe he was good at chess, and if he was, it would make for an interesting chess match.

Still, Lelouch just couldn't shake off this feeling that he knew that mysterious look-alike. It seemed illogical, feeling as if you already know someone when you've just barely met them. So why did Lelouch know that he could trust him?

And why was it that he knew he had to protect him at all costs?

Shift END

_Next Time:_ Second Shift: I am... Zero!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary:** Lucian Kouzuki never knew his father, only that he was the most selfless person this world had ever known. He pretended to be a demon so that he could bring peace. However, when given the chance to change everything, will he save his father from the darkness? Or will history repeat itself? This is the paradox that has appeared before the Twelfth Prince of Britannia.

Code Geass: Lucian of the Paradox

**Author's Notes:** And now, we are at the third chapter of Lucian of the Paradox! I thank any and all who continue to read and support me, despite how short I time together as been! Not much to say here, except maybe a quote from a certain madman, "ALLONS-Y!"

Second Shift: I am... Zero!

"Lulu, you never told us you had a twin!"

Lelouch groaned, feeling the urge to face palm as the whole class stared in amazement and wonder at the new student, who stood in front of the entire class with the teacher. It was Lucian, dressed in the Ashford Academy uniform. There were modifications, however, as the blazer was open revealing a white buttoned shirt underneath and the blue scarf around his neck.

"Class, this is Lucian Spacer, a transfer student from Area 15." the teacher droned on, a hand on the boy's shoulder. "He'll be staying with us for the rest of the year, so do make him feel welcome."

"_Ohayo_." Lucian greeted dully with a bow of his head. Lelouch noticed that the boy was looking at him, though in a discreet manner. Perhaps he had some suspicion on who he was? He did say that he was working with him, despite the fact that the two had never met in person, in fact Lelouch doubted Lucian even knew him at all. Still, Lelouch had to admit; the boy had guts to speak Japanese in front of a class full of Britannians.

The feeling in him hadn't changed, that urge to trust him. It irritated Lelouch, not understanding how he could trust someone he doesn't even know, but decided to keep it shoved back for the time being as class began, with Lucian taking a seat at the upper left corner of the room.

It was ironic, in a way. It had been only a few days since that incident in the Shinjuku ghetto, and now two chess pieces he wanted were right within his grasp. The pilot of the Glasgow, a girl named Kallen Stadtfeld, was a student here at the school. She was playing quite the contradiction to her true self: a fiery free spirit playing as a frail and sickly girl.

He had already thought up of a way to earn their trust, but for now, he would have to build things up. His new power had already proven useful, however he quickly realized that their were flaws. There was a set distance, a single use on a person, and an unknown time-limit. The last one was still a mystery, one of which he had begun to test out on a girl from his class. She would mark the wall on the roof every day. He still felt hollow whenever he used it, knowing that he was robbing a person of their free will.

Whenever he used Geass, he felt like Charles zi Britannia. It was a sickening feeling, one of which that disgusted him beyond words.

'_A life of solitude and isolation, huh?'_ Lelouch thought back to the words that ranged out in his ears, recalling his encounter with that green-haired woman who gave him this wonderful, yet accursed power. _'How true those words truly are for one who has been condemned to such a world...'_

~~~Scene Break~~~

When class had ended, Lucian and Kallen had snuck away at the school rooftop to avoid any unnecessary ears. "What are you doing here?" Kallen half-hissed and half-asked with confusion. "No, scratch that, _how_ are you here? That little stunt you pulled just practically told everyone you're not a full-Britannian!"

"You're point?" Lucian asked, not seeing what the problem was. He could handle himself if he got hurled into a fight, and he didn't have to worry much about getting into trouble so long as he kept his head down. Besides, it wasn't like they were going to try anything... unless they were stupid.

"M-my point?" Kallen spluttered, staring at him in bewilderment. _'Does he really not care how people see him?'_

"If people judge me simply because I have Japanese heritage, then let them. It is of no consequence to me. It is when they begin to judge others that I will step in. No one should have the power to judge others simply because they believe that they are superior." Lucian explained to his mother, though if he was being honest, he was starting to feel a little uncomfortable right now. His mother was a beautiful woman, he had no doubt about that, however since she was the same age as him, her beauty was far greater.

Although, he much preferred her spirited self to this fake persona she was forced to use.

"There's also another reason." Kallen frowned when she heard him say that. Was here for another reason? Could the man on the radio have sent him? "My partner will be contacting you tomorrow. He'll be giving you instructions about where we should meet."

Kallen felt anxiousness begin to build up when she heard that. Was she really going to meet the person who saved her life and the lives of so many innocent people? The man that had done the impossible, and killed Clovis la Britannia? "When?" she asked, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"Soon. Also, it might be a good idea to bring Ohgi-_san_ and the others along, just for precautions. Zero made a lot more enemies by killing Clovis."

Kallen could still hardly believe it. How on earth had he pulled off the impossible? No, it was more like who this Zero person was. It was obvious that Lucian knew him well, perhaps a close friend or an invaluable ally, but she remembers him saying that his partner kept to himself. "So, what can we expect from his actions?" she asked, sweating nervously from the possibilities of the consequences.

Lucian sighed as he leaned against the railing, looking over his shoulder and admiring the view. "The Purist Faction will see this as an opportunity for them to take power. Zero covered his tracks well, so they won't have a murderer. Rather, they'll set up a scapegoat, likely an Honorary Britannian." Kallen stared at him wide-eyed, and her mouth open in horror. She knew that Britannian was dark and evil, but now she knew just how low they were willing to sink. "They'll use him or her as a means to probably take the seat of Viceroy. Of course, that is assuming Zero doesn't step in."

"What would happen if he did?"

"Then the charges would be dropped, and then someone from the Imperial Family would likely take the position. Clovis' death pissed off a lot of family members. I wouldn't be surprised if the Witch of Britannia herself came to Area 11 just to hunt down Zero herself and put his head on a pike for all to see."

Kallen didn't even need to know who he was talking about. Cornelia li Britannia was known by two names, the Witch of Britannia to the enemies of Britannia and the Goddess of Victory to her fellow countrymen. Lucian's foresight was incredible, it was as if he had guessed this based on pure logic and theory, looking past the norm that people stared at for all their lives and took his sights on something else, something people constantly ignored.

"Well, I'll see you later then." Kallen bowed her head, heading towards the door. If she stayed gone too long, she was likely to be caught up here with Lucian, and then rumors would begin to fly around. She briefly heard a goodbye from the mysterious boy as she closed the door behind her.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Lucian looked at the corner where the doorway to the staircase led. "You can come out now, K-1."

Lelouch exited from his hiding place, a grin on his face while his arms were folded over his chest. "First I meet a boy who looks like me, and now I learn that he is someone who claims to be an ally of who will become Britannia's greatest enemy." he said in amusement. "You never cease to amaze me, Lucian Spacer."

"I aim to please, Lelouch." Lucian nodded before turning back to the scenery. "So, what do you want to ask me?"

Lelouch's grin grew fiendish. _'Very perceptive.'_ he mused, taking his place next to Lucian. "Well, there are two matters, so I'll get the one I have been meaning to ask." His grin was gone, replaced by a look of deadly seriousness, looking at Lucian, who took his intimidating gaze in stride. "How much do you know?"

Lucian closed his eyes, as if pondering how much he should reveal. It wouldn't have mattered, Lelouch would use Geass if he thought the boy was lying and make him tell everything. However, it didn't seem like he needed to as Lucian answered. "I know that you are Lelouch vi Britannia, oldest child of the late Empress Marianne, and the eleventh prince of Britannia. You were disowned and exiled by your father when you demanded that justice be done for the death of your mother, and now you seek to destroy Britannia 'till it is reduced to nothing more but a pile of ashes."

Lelouch paled. _'How the hell does he know about that? Moreover, how in the world did he guess my intentions? As far as anyone is aware, Lelouch vi Britannia and his sister were kidnapped from the palace by terrorists and sent to Japan to be used as bargaining chips. News of mine and Nunnally's exile had not been made public, I know that much.'_ Anxious and afraid, Lelouch looked at Lucian's visible eye and called upon the power of the King. _'I need to know...'_

Before he could, however, Lucian chuckled. "However, even if you destroyed Britannia, it is nothing but mercy for what they have done." Lelouch receded his Geass as Lucian looked at him, a fiendish grin of his own appearing on his face. "I wish to destroy Britannia as well, but I want to go even farther."

Lelouch blinked, turning his body so that he was fully facing him. "How much farther do you want to go, Lucian?" he asked curiously, wondering how far he was willing to go.

And that was when Lucian's face turned dark, his eyes brimming with rage, and his knuckles turning white. "I want to kill the man known to the world as Charles zi Britannia."

Had this been any other person, Lelouch would have scoffed at waved them off. However, one look into Lucian's eyes showed him that the boy was 100% serious. He wanted to kill his bastard of the father, the Emperor of the entire Holy Britannian Empire. Realizing this, Lelouch's widened in shock. Someone had the exact same goal as him as well? "If I may ask, why do you wish to kill the Emperor?"

"If it wasn't for him..." Lucian's head sagged, his bangs now hiding his left eye. Lelouch recognized the look of pain and sadness that etched itself on his look-alike's face. "Then my father would still be alive, and his friends wouldn't be wallowing in sadness."

'_His father?'_ Lelouch wondered wryly, a small smile of understanding appearing, the traces of his Geass in his left eye fading away. _'Ah, so then... we're the same in a way. I lost my mother, and you lost your father. I wonder... is that the reason why I feel like I can trust you?'_

"Well, enough morbid thoughts." Lucian said, looking back up after losing his icy tone. "So, what else was there?"

"Ah, right. I'm actually here on request of Milly Ashford-"

"Not on your life."

Lelouch blinked, having been stopped mid-sentence. Lucian's face had spoken more than his words earlier. 'I am not joining the Student Council' was what he was saying. "I didn't even ask you yet."

"My answer remains the same. The very last thing I want to experience is being placed in women's clothing and be caught wearing it by several people. If Ashford is anything like Marribel described, then I prefer to keep my sanity. Now, if you'll excuse me."

With that, Lucian left the stunned Lelouch on the rooftop, wondering just what happened before looking back at the door, which closed shut. "I have said it before, and I will say it again. You are the most interesting person I have ever met, Lucian Spacer."

~~~Scene Break~~~

"Lelouch, where's that twin brother of yours?" was the first thing that greeted Lelouch when he stepped inside. Milly as tapping her foot with her arms crossed under her best, a stern expression with a glimmer of amusement and excitement present on her face. "I thought I told you to bring him here."

Lelouch repressed his grin, already seeing the expression on her face that would appear when he told her. "He refused to join, mostly because he prefers to keep his sanity." he told her in a light tone of voice. "Though, can't say I blame him. Most of the stuff that happens on this campus is pretty strange. I wouldn't be surprised if you decided to have a competition to try and catch a cat."

"Muu~ that's really mean, Lulu..." Milly said with a pout. "Anyway, how come you never us you had a twin?"

"Yeah, it was really surprising!" Shirley added. "He looks exactly like you!"

Lelouch groaned, no longer able to hold back the face-palm that had been plaguing him since this morning when Lucian entered his classroom. "He is not my twin. He and I have no relationship towards each other, and we have never met until today."

"Besides, didn't he say he transferred here from another Area?" Rivalz commented, thus helping Lelouch's case. "But, he does look like you, Lelouch. Seriously, take out the bangs on the right side and his left eye, along with that scarf, and it'll be impossible to tell you apart!"

Lelouch sighed, shaking his head and his shoulders sagging up and down as he took his seat at the table, directly across from Nina. She had been very quiet throughout the whole thing, and had her face buried in her book. From his point of view, it was hard to see her face until she looked up, her eyes showing hints of anxiety and uncertainty.

"Um, L-Lelouch..." the shy and reclusive girl stuttered, her hands fidgeting despite holding a grip on her book. "I-is it true... Did he speak Eleven in class?"

He had a feeling that was what she was asking. Every time he thought about it, he couldn't help but grimace and want to search for the scumbags that dared to lay a finger on one of his friends. Somehow, Nina had gotten lost in the ghettos, and thanks to an "encounter" with a few Elevens, she was scared of every Japanese person she came across, visibly terrified even.

Lelouch sighed, nodding. "Yes. He's one-third Eleven, as his mother was half-Britannian. But, Nina, can you really be scared of him simply because of who is parents are?" he asked. "It's not his fault that his mother is a halfer."

"He's right, Nina." Milly nodded in agreement. Nina looked down at the ground, still fidgeting at the prospect that someone with Eleven blood was attending the school.

Once again, Lelouch sighed. Why couldn't things be so simple? Maybe he should use Geass to make her forget her fear of Elevens?

...No, better not. Otherwise, he just might truly end up turning out like Charles.

'_Just wait, father...'_ the raven haired boy thought, a dark expression glazing over his eyes. _'I'll show you how much I've grown...'_

~~~Scene Break~~~

It was just after school that Lucian had stepped inside his place of residence for the time being. It was simple, having only a small fridge inside a five by five square feet kitchen, an adult-sized bed, and a fairly large living room with a large TV, an entertainment center sitting beside it with a couch opposite of it.

The apartment was in a small part of the Settlement, but not too far away from his school. He figured that by enrolling in Ashford Academy, he could watch out for his father while also keeping anything that might expose him out of the way. He could still recall that little story his mother told him about that cat hunt. Arthur had somehow managed to grab an item of personal value to Lelouch, Zero's mask, and was running around the campus. Milly had learned from Nunnally that, because of the item's importance to Lelouch, she believed that it was some kind of secret that he wouldn't dare show to anyone, and began a cat hunt, offering a kiss from a member of the winner's choosing from the student council.

Lucian chuckled as he plopped down on the couch, a small can of Pepsi in his hand as he rested his head against the couch's spine, staring up at the ceiling. One of his motherly figures, officially named one of his many aunts, was as crazy as her daughter, without a doubt. "Children truly do take after their parents, don't they?" he muttered, pulling out something from his pocket.

It was a small photo. It showed him when he was five years old, a mirror image of Lelouch when he was that age with the only difference being his cool blue left eye. He was surrounded by everyone that knew the truth behind the Zero Requiem, meaning every person who knew the true Lelouch vi Britannia and not the Demon Emperor of Britannia. His mother stood to his left, kneeling down with her hands on his shoulders, a gentle smile on her face. Her crimson hair had grown longer, reaching down to her shoulders. His aunt Nunnally was standing behind him, still confined to a wheel chair with a giant smile on her face, the brightest he had seen since the death of his father. She looked like the younger version of Marianne vi Britannia, with her hair falling down to her waist. However, what was probably the most surprising was that Zero was present in the picture as well, with his mask being held in the boy's hands. Suzaku was so much older in that, it was almost scary. His brown hair had become shaggier, coming down to the base of his neck while his eyes looked both cold and happy at the same time.

The Black Knights stood behind the three, all of them with looks of happiness, joy, and remembrance. Tamaki had his arm roped around Ohgi, who scratched his cheek in embarrassment while his wife Villetta was holding his other arm, their child clinging to her leg. Tohdoh and Chiba stood beside Suzaku quietly, though one could see the faint smile on Tohdoh's face, admiring the scene in front of him.

On the back read _"Lucian Kouzuki and the Black Knights, 2023, age five."_

A faint smile was on his face before slipping the picture back in his pocket and setting his soda down on the coffee table, pulling up the slim laptop that was on it earlier. Flipping it open, his fingers flew across the keyboard at a terrifying pace as the screen shifted several times, showing schematics and plans. "The Kyoto Group has Rakshata supporting them, so she'll have the materials needed for it." he said to himself. "Now that I think about it, it never really did have a pilot, did it?"

The plans on the screen were schematics for a Knightmare, and a fearsome looking beast as well. It could only be described as the demonic twin of the Lancelot with protruded shoulders and kneecaps, the hands resembling the claw of the Guren's Radiant Wave Surger, the Float Unit equipped on its back. The color was black with purple trims, and the eyes glowing red.

"The shadow of death, Shi no Kage..." Lucian grinned. "Father is going to flip when he sees this."

~~~Scene Break~~~

When Lucian said 'soon', he had meant it. It was a Saturday, so she didn't have school, which was a bonus for her. She never liked being there, especially since she had somehow been dragged into the Student Council. As if being drenched in wine wasn't enough, Lelouch had seen her naked after a misunderstanding. She suspected him of being Lucian's partner, the one called Zero, but after receiving a phone call from him while holding Lelouch's hand, she knew she had the wrong man.

The Tokyo Tower was probably one of the few landmarks that still remained after the events of the Pacific War. She was glad to see it standing tall proud, but couldn't help but glare at the people who ogled it as if it were a piece of meat rather than a piece of accomplishment built through hard work.

When she entered, she saw Lucian leaning against a wall with a phone in hand, pressed up against his ear. She was about to mistake him for Lelouch when she noticed his scarf and clothes, both of which she was sure that Lelouch would never wear.

"They should be here any second." Kallen heard him say as she walked toward him. "If you were anyone else, I would think you were a madman. You'll be dropping it off here, right? _Hai_, I'll see you then." With that, he snapped the phone shut and turned to Kallen. "_Ohayo_."

Upon hearing him say that, Kallen couldn't help but smile wryly. "Even in a public place like this, you don't care if people glare at you for being one-third Eleven, huh?" she asked, earning a small smirk in response. "So, was that Zero?"

"Yes. He'll be dropping off a cell phone in about half an hour. They'll be paging for you sometime around then." Lucian told her before noticing Ohgi and two others, Yoshida and Tamaki, standing not far off. He repressed the urge to smile when Tamaki gave him a thumbs up. "So, only they were able to make it?"

Kallen didn't hide her expression this time, lowering her head. "Some of us still don't trust you, because of your blood. They trust me because I'm Naoto's brother, and they know me better than anyone, but..."

He held up a hand to stop her, smiling gently. "It's fine, I understand. Though, I suspect once we start what we're about to do, we may have just earned your trust."

"Just what are you and Zero planning?"

"Just wait and see, miss Stadtfeld."

Kallen sighed, but smiled as she and the mysterious Britannian boy walked around, admiring pieces of art and old manuscripts and artifacts that had survived the Pacific War. "I'm rather glad that they didn't explain what Senpaku really was." Lucian said, Kallen nodding in agreement. "Still, I'm rather impressed. The works of _Nihon_ are truly something to be admired, especially the arts."

"Actually, I've been meaning to ask you something." During the time she knew him, she saw that Lucian was nothing like his fellow Britannians. He was kind and caring, yet at the same time misplaced and introverted, quiet and speaking only when spoken to. She saw how he acted and moved, someone who had gained the prowess of a soldier, yet managed to retain his humanity. He despised discrimination, openly helping Japanese when abused. "What was your family like?"

Suddenly, Lucian became deathly quiet. Kallen feared she may have asked something that brought up some bad memories, but she saw whispers of sadness and pain echo across his eyes as he spoke with a monotone voice. "My mother was... hot-tempered in her younger years. She acted with her heart rather than her head, but she was the best Knightmare pilot I ever saw. Because of her Knightmare and her skills, she was called the Crimson Lotus among her allies. My father... he was hated by everyone. They called him a monster, a demon when they saw how wicked they believed him to be."

Kallen felt sweat begin to pour at her palms. If people thought his father to be some sort of monster, then was he truly one? "True, he had done things that made people so angry that they screamed out for his death, but he didn't waver. He continued to do what he did, all so he could make us happy in the future." A rather sad came to his face. "He died a year before I was born, stabbed in the chest by his own best friend."

Kallen choked on air. _'His own friend killed him?'_ she thought in bewilderment before closing her mouth when she saw that he was not done. "People cheered when they saw father fall to the ground. They still had no idea that his death was all planned out. He wanted to make the world we lived in a happy place."

Lucian turned to Kallen, his face becoming serious. "Answer me this, Kallen. How would you bring about peace to this world?" he asked her. Kallen stopped to think, pondering what he had meant. She had never really thought about such matters, and yet she wanted the world to be much more peaceful. "This was the belief my father had: Create hatred from people, so much hatred that it would bathe the world, and then focus that hatred on a single individual and watch them take all of it, all the hatred in the world to the grave with him."

Kallen, once the gears clicked in her mind, whirled on Lucian with large eyes. Lucian's father had planned out his own death, just so that his family could have a more peaceful life. "I-I'm sorry..." she said weakly, unable to look him in the eye. _'He never knew his father, and yet...'_

"Paging a miss Kallen Stadtfeld from Ashford Academy. There is a lost item at the reception desk."

"That must be him." Lucian said, shattering the silence between them before looking at her again. "Shall we?"

Kallen nodded, following behind him. All she could do was look at his back, thinking of how strong he must have been to carry on without a parent. He never said much about his mother, other than she was a skilled Knightmare pilot. She wondered if she could become like that someday.

For now, she would just follow his lead. _'Lucian... I wonder what would you say... if I told you that you're not alone anymore?'_

~~~Scene Break~~~

Lucian felt a bit anxious as he and Kallen walked through the train cars, glancing every now and then at the passengers. _'Every passenger is under the influence of Geass...'_ he noted once he saw the red rings around their irises. _So, even at the beginning he used it extensively... small wonder his Geass went out of control when it did and a miracle it hadn't done so sooner.'_ He never did like Geass, no matter what form in came in. Absolute Obedience was the greatest of them all, able to command a person to their fullest extent while robbing them of their free will. Once the user loses control, they must forever shield their eyes from the eyes of those they care about, thus placing them into a true world of isolation.

The power of the King will make you lonely, indeed.

"Dude, what is up with these guys?" Tamaki whispered to Lucian after stepping inside the third train car. "It's like they aren't even looking at us."

"That's because they aren't." Lucian informed him, earning a look of confusion. "You'll find out tonight, trust me. However, I can't say I approve of this."

'_I have to make father use Geass as little as possible from now on, I have to...'_

They were at the second to last train car before Kallen stopped, the phone Zero had dropped off for her still pressed up against her ear. "Face the right, and tell me what you see." Lucian could hear his father's voice say. He knew the reasons behind this, of course. He wanted to know if they saw the gaping difference in styles of life and method of life in their respective place.

"I see the Britannian Tokyo Settlement, stolen from us and built upon all our sacrifices."

In Britannia, they used whatever means necessary, praying upon those without power and taking credit for themselves. They strove for power and nothing but power, it was all they craved. "All men are not equal," as Charles zi Britannia, Emperor of the Holy Empire once said. However, if men are not equal, then what is to stop them from understanding one another?"

"Good. Now, face the left."

"I see our city, a lifeless husk that is being bled dry."

"Excellent answer. Now, head to the front car. I'm waiting."

With that, the line ended, prompting Kallen to snap the phone shut. "Was all of that supposed to be some kind of test?" Lucian's mother asked, though he could tell the question was, more or less, directed at him.

He remained silent, however. They would be getting their answers soon enough from the lips of the man himself. Still, Lucian couldn't help but wonder how large the difference was between the Zero of his time and the Zero that instigated the infamous Black Rebellion that had lit a spark all over the globe in the war against the oppressive nation known as Britannia. Suzaku was quiet and silent, physically fit while his father was cunning and charismatic, lacking in skill.

Even still, he wondered if this would be the same man he had heard about so many times as a child, the man who truly held the world in the palm of his hand.

After passing more passengers under the control of Geass, they stepped inside the front car. Unlike the other cars, it had only a single passenger, who stood with his back facing against them. "Are you Lucian's partner?" Kallen asked, eyes narrowing fiercely at him. If looks could kill, his father would be dead three times over. "Answer me!"

It was right when they entered a tunnel that Lelouch turned around, and confirming for Lucian that what stood before him was the genuine article, the "true" Zero. Despite having been nearly two decades, the appearance had not changed in the slightest, wearing a black cloak with gold lining that hid most of his body, a dark purple body-suit, a white cravat at the neck, and of course, the black mask with the purple orb at the center, five prongs at the back granting it the appearance of a crown of sorts.

"**Did you enjoy my tour?"** Zero asked of them, his body not moving in the slightest. Lucian could see the nervous looks and the tension increasing in the resistance cell upon seeing him in his full glory. They had obviously not expected him to be wearing a mask.

"Tour?" Yoshida frowned, obviously confused by what he was talking about. Tamaki, on the other hand, looked skeptical and leaned forward, whispering again in Lucian's ear. It was strange how the man could trust him so easily, despite knowing that he was more Britannian than Japanese, unlike his mother. "Please tell me this guy ain't your partner."

"He is." Lucian nodded before looking back at Zero. He could still feel his father's eyes on him, in fact he had known this since when they first stepped inside the car. He was analyzing him head from toe, searching for any sliver of deceit.

However, his inspection did not stop him in the slightest. **"I wanted to make sure you knew the difference. The Settlement,"** Zero extended his right arm as the train emerged from the tunnel. Since they were at the front car, they could see both sides of Japan. His father's arm was extended towards the Britannian Settlement. **"And the Ghetto."** his left arm emerged from his cloak, extending towards the ruined city of Shinjuku.

"We know the difference." Ohgi said, fists clenching. "It's a harsh one, that's why we've been fighting them!"

"**Wrong!"** Zero's response startled them, except for Lucian. His father allowed him to take the stage it seemed, as a brief nudge of the head was given to him.

"Do you truly believe that Britannia will fall?" he asked of them, looking them all dead in the face. "What you're doing is nothing but a childish nuisance to them. You're proving them that you are what they make you out to be: savages and brutes who know nothing."

"**Indeed, war must be waged on Britannia, but not on the innocent!"**

"That's easy for you to say, hiding behind a mask!" Kallen retorted angrily.

"We trust your friend because he was willing to trust us, it's fair you do the same." Ohgi nodded at his friend's sister, looking at Zero with skeptically.

"Yeah, lose the mask!" Yoshida shouted at him, looking ready to run up and tear off Zero's mask.

Zero's hand moved to where his mask is, but didn't bother removing it as he continued on. **"Very well then. However, instead of showing you my face, I shall show you my power."**

Kallen stopped, looking at Zero more carefully. Lucian knew that she was already impressed by Zero's abilities. After all, why wouldn't she be? He had managed to overpower the Britannian forces back at the ghettos, and was even able to assassinate Clovis without anyone ever catching him. He supposed it was the start of his mother's affections for the masked man. "You're... power?"

"If we deliver the impossible to you..." Lucian began, smiling underneath his scarf as he and Zero spoke in unison.

"_**Then we shall have truly earned your trust."**_

Shift END

_Next Time:_ Third Shift: Conflicting Beliefs


	4. Chapter 4

Code Geass: Lucian of the Paradox

**Author's Notes:** I'm back! I'm really sorry guys, but I've been really busy with my school schedule, plus I just recently got done with a Walking Dead marathon, and unfortunately, I'm still in Season 3, right when Rick's going loony. Also, I should have R-eset back up and running soon. Now, I had to make a few changes in Zero's debut, you'll see.

Also, in regards to questions if Lucian has Geass... READ THE DAMN CHAPTER!

And with that, let us dive right back into Lucian of the Paradox!

_Third Shift: Conflicting Beliefs_

Suzaku was sitting in his holding cell, staring past the Plexiglas wall in front of him. It was the only exit and entrance into his particular cell, but there were no guards present. The only thing that was present was him and silence, though he had taken the time to brood and mull over, thinking back during the Shinjuku ghetto incident. Lloyd had swung by earlier, having been asked a favor of Suzaku before his arrest to look for Lelouch and the green-haired girl. Thankfully, neither was on the list of casualties, but that wasn't just the only reason.

Lloyd wanted to know everything about that black Knightmare that had managed to push his precious Lancelot back. He was obviously impressed by the work and asked Suzaku's direct opinion about the machine itself, though the man could swear it resembled some of his own design, along with someone else's.

And speaking of that Knightmare, Suzaku was wondering who the pilot was. _'Whoever he was, he has ties with me and Lelouch, that much is obvious.'_ the Honorary Britannian thought deeply, images of their battle flashing by in his head. _'He knew my reasons, but it seems like there's more to it than that... it felt like he truly knew me. Plus, there's something else...'_

There was a point in time during their conversation where Suzaku felt as if someone very close to him for seemingly no reason at all had just punched him. It was when the pilot of the black Knightmare had asked him if Lelouch and Nunnally would be happy knowing that their only true friend in Japan had died trying to change Britannia's system when it was Britannia who left them for dead. That thought had actually made him hesitate, the faces of the two vi Britannia's flashing in his head.

'_Knowing Lelouch, he'd be angry beyond words, and Nunnally...'_ Suzaku winced at that particular thought, and shook his head violently. _'No, I can't let this get to me. I'm doing this for their sake, aren't I?'_

And yet, he still couldn't shake his doubts. He continued to sat in silence, wondering what fate would come for him tonight at his execution.

~~~Scene Break~~~

"Lucian, with all do respect, your partner is _fucking_ insane!" Tamaki yelled out as soon as they returned to base. Lucian cringed, hands covering his ears. "I mean, save Kururugi?! In the middle of a bunch of freaking Britannian purists?!"

"Tamaki-_san_, please lower your voice." Lucian asked politely as he removed his hands. "I know full well how impossible the task is, however believe me, it will succeed."

"How do you know it will?" Ohgi asked, sweating nervously. It had been a few hours ago when Zero had told them his plan, with only Kallen, Ohgi, and Lucian being the only ones who actually seemed to trust him. "I mean, no offense, what your friend said hit home for us, but _this_? We would have to pull off something that not even Tohdoh the Miracle Worker could do."

"That may be true, but Zero has the one thing Tohdoh does not have." Lucian said, though one could see the displeasure in his eyes. He respected his father, hell he thought him to be the most selfless man in this world, but the one thing he despised about him was his power. "Did you notice that every passenger in that train had red rings around their irises?"

"Actually, now that you mention it..." Yoshida remarked, recalling that particular feature about Geass. "Wait, is it some kind of hypnosis?"

"Not quite." Lucian shook his head. "He has a power called Geass. I'm not too sure on the details, but it manifests differently for each person. For Zero, his is Absolute Obedience. All he needs is direct eye contact, and he can make that person bend to his will, and will follow any order he gives. For example..." Lucian grimaced. It made him sick, using the SAZ massacre as an example. "If he used Geass on the Emperor of Britannia and order him to commit mass genocide, he would do it without so much as a second thought."

A collective gasp erupted, all of which with mixtures of disbelief, shock, awe, and disgust. Kallen was the last one, shooting up from her seat and scowling. "What the hell kind of power is that?! It robs a person if their free will!" she argued with fiery anger. "Are you telling me he plans to use it on us if we don't follow him?!"

Lucian shook his head. "No, we've already taken measures. There's a special glass-like material that can block the effects of Zero's Geass. If any of you want to follow him, we can provide you with those protective measures. Geass is not a power Zero is proud to have. One slip of the tongue, whether as a joke or even as an example, he could make a person kill themselves or even, as I mentioned earlier, start a full-scale massacre. Do you understand that burden,?" he asked, looking each and every one of them dead in the eye.

His mother, nor anyone else in the resistance group, had anything to say, for what could they say? None of them had that power; none could full understand that weight. Of course, there was a reason why Lucian had explained to them the power of Geass. From what he was told, his father kept his power a secret from the Black Knights. They could probably deal with him being the exiled prince of Britannia, but knowing that he could have forced them to serve him loyally? That had been too much for them, thus leading them to join Schneizel under the promise that he would given them back Japan.

However, now that they knew the truth beforehand, and right before the beginning of Zero's infamous rebellion, that path could be changed. Evidence was this was Kaname Ohgi as he looked at everyone else with a serious expression. "I don't know about you guys," he started out slowly, as if trying to be sure himself. "But this Geass isn't something I would force on anyone."

"Wha- Ohgi?!" Kallen stared at her brother's best friend as if he had grown a second head while everyone else stared at him in surprise. Lucian smiled thinly, knowing that Ohgi had chosen Zero over Britannia.

"But nothing, Kallen." the cell leader cut her off sternly. "If what Lucian said is true, then Zero will be forced to live a life of isolation and solitude. He wouldn't be able to get close to anyone if he lost control of that power." Ohgi looked back at Lucian, as if asking for confirmation. "That's why he wears that mask, right?"

"Correct." Lucian nodded. "There's actually another reason. He wears that mask to protect the people close to him, not just himself. As I said, his enemies extend to even the Imperial Family. If they learned his true identity, they would go for those who know him personally instead of going after him directly."

There was a tense silence that reigned over the group, everyone having conflicted looks. Kallen seemed to still digest the information, unable to make heads or tails out of it. Lucian expected Minami, Yoshida, or Sugiyama to speak up.

He never expected Tamaki to be the first one to step inside the bandwagon. "Well, I say screw that." the cocky red head said with a grin. Everyone stared at him in disbelief. Why wouldn't they? This was the gigantic idiot Shinichiro Tamaki, after all! "If Zero's gonna go that far, then I say we help him! You guys got any slots open?"

~~~Scene Break~~~

"So, they now know about my Geass..." Lelouch muttered as he closed the phone, having been informed by Lucian that everyone in the resistance was now participating in the operation. "I would wonder how the hell Lucian found out about it, but considering his actions thus far, I suppose it would be the same as asking where he came from."

Lucian was truly an enigma, more so than Lelouch first thought. He had used every connection, used Geass on every person who had an intelligence network, and yet, with all of those resources at his disposal, there was no one by the name of Lucian Spacer in Britannia, or in the Homeland for that matter. It was as if he was a ghost, a phantom that had just appeared.

"His Knightmare can outclass even the Gloucester, and they're the strongest Knightmares we have, with the exception of that white mech from the ghetto..." the former prince muttered, folding his arms over his chest and leaning against the wall to his room. "He knew who Nunnally and I truly were, he has the same goal as me, and he even knows about my Geass... It's as if he knows me."

The feeling to trust that boy had not faded. If at all anything, it was growing stronger by the day. "It's irrational for me to feel like this. We've only known each other for a few days, and yet it feels as if I should know him..." Lelouch grumbled in irritation. Not knowing about someone who knew almost everything about him really aggravated him, as he didn't like being on the receiving end.

Still, he couldn't toss away this feeling. Giving in, the former prince of Britannia sighed as he sat down on his bed, a hand over his face as he tried to gather his thoughts. It was clear that he had no intention of betraying Lelouch, and his desire to kill his father was real enough, but that just begged the question: How could Lucian know so much about him?

'_Maybe that twin theory of Rivalz's might actually be on to something...'_ Lelouch thought before realizing what he just thought, and chuckled dryly. _'Yeah, right, as if...'_

~~~Scene Break~~~

When Lucian entered his apartment, he did not expect to see _her_ here of all places. "What in the world are you doing?" he asked, not even bothering asking how she even got inside his temporary place of residence for the time being.

Sitting on his bed with a slice of pizza in her hand was a beautiful woman with bright green hair that went down to her waist, and butter yellow eyes that seemed to be so devoid of emotion, it made her seem less alive and more like a doll. She wore what could only be described as a prison uniform with several restrains.

"Hey." the immortal woman named C.C. greeted with a nod. "Nice place you have here."

Lucian sighed, slapping a hand over his face and dragging it down until looking the woman dead in the eye. "Care to explain why you're here and not with Lelouch?" he asked her.

C.C. shrugged her shoulders taking one last bite of her pizza and closing the lid on the empty box. "When I heard about someone looking like that boy, I came to see if they were true..." She eyed him up and down before gaining a mysterious smile on her face. "And I see more than just a mere resemblance. Are you his future son or something?"

Lucian would have said yes were this not the past, and this not his father's confidant. She was the one who gave him Geass in the first place, and in a sense, the one who helped create the man of miracles that had struck fear and awe into the hearts of men. "Honestly, Cecaniah-"

Lucian's eyes widened in sync with C.C.'s, a look of pure shock clear all over her face as her head snapped in his direction. _'Shit!'_ Lucian cursed for his slip of the tongue, clamping both hands over his mouth. _'I'm the twelfth prince of Britannia, the child of the first Zero, and I can't even keep my freaking mouth shut! Great work, dumbass!'_

Cecaniah's shock faded from her face, now replaced by a look of scorn and curiosity. "I don't suppose you'd tell me how exactly you know my name?" she asked, hopping off his bed and strutting toward him dangerously. "So, care to explain who you are, boyo?"

Lucian backed up, holding his arms up in defense. If there was one thing he had learned during his time growing up, it was this: Never Piss Off Women. The reason why you never want to piss off a woman, especially if they own a Knightmare or if they can snap a bone?

You're likely to end up six-feet under.

"N-now, now, C-Cecaniah, I can expl-"

He was stopped in mid-sentence when the immortal witch grabbed his arm, and in that one moment, Lucian's world shattered. A searing pain ripped inside of his skull, banging against the skin as if begging to be set free from its confines, and his right eye, which was hidden by his black bangs, feeling as if it were set on fire.

Lucian gasped in pain once Cecaniah let go of his arm, recoiling from him and taking a step back. He fell on one knee, a hand grasping his eye to try and dull the pain, but to no avail. He could hear bells ringing off in his head loudly, further adding to the pain burning in his head.

It was a good five minutes before the pain finally lessened, leaving Lucian panting with sweat rolling down his skin, falling to the ground. His hand removed itself from his eye, looking up at Cecaniah. Her previous look was gone, now replaced with genuine surprise, shock, and most of all, confusion.

The two stared back at each other, yellow meeting sapphire blue and purple. A silence fell over the two before Cecaniah spoke up, sounding more astounded than anything else.

"Well... you certainly do take after you're father, huh?"

Lucian's eyes widened. "W-wait, y-you remember?"

His question was left unanswered as Cecaniah crossed her arms, tilting her head while a finger poked at her temple, clearly deep in thought. "A Geass affecting someone with a Code... Now that's a new one."

"What?"

C.C. removed something from her sleeve, revealing a small compact (where the hell did she even get that anyway?!). Flipping it open, she showed it Lucian, revealing his face. Even now, he still couldn't get over the fact that he looked exactly... like...

Lucian stared at the reflection, which revealed his right eye. The bangs had parted, revealing some of the purple orb to the world. He could only stare at it before scowling.

"Oh you have _got_ to be kidding."

"Wow, you even pulled off his scowl."

"Oh shut up, Cecaniah."

~~~Scene Break~~~

"There's no more need to hesitate..." Lelouch muttered to himself as he slipped on the mask he had asked for. "The dye has already been cast. No turning back now." He felt the cool metal spread over his face, the mask wrapping itself around his head and securing itself. He could see clearly past the small strip, the view of the bridge leading to his friend coming into view. Pressing his finger against the small communicator on the right side of his mask, Lelouch could hear the voices of his comrades.

"Man, never thought I'd see the day when Ohgi wasn't in on the action!" the red-haired man, Shinichiro Tamaki if he remembers right, chuckled at his friend's chagrin.

"You sound pretty relaxed, considering we're about to take on Margrave Jeremiah of all people." Yoshida said, though he himself chuckled at his own words. "Still, gotta admit, this is gonna be fun!"

"I hear you." Kallen agreed, though the former prince of Britannia could tell that, even from behind the flag he was hiding in, the woman was nervous, considering she was going to be up front and center, directly in the faces of every muzzle that would be pointed at them. "I really hope we can pull this off."

"And we will, Kallen." Lelouch felt a ghost of a smile grace his lips when he heard the voice of the boy that had left him perplexed. "After all, Zero's about to deliver us a miracle, isn't he?"

"I believe you mean _we_ are about to deliver a miracle, Susano'o." Lelouch corrected him. "After all, today is our big debut."

"Uh, are you sure we don't need his black behemoth of a Knightmare?" Tamaki asked, unsure.

Lelouch had considered doing that, but he wanted to save that little detail for later. Right now, he had to focus on saving Suzaku. "There will be no need for that. Remember, you'll engage the enemy only when they pursue. Tamaki and Minami will be protecting Ohgi after we've rescued Kururugi, and Susano'o will lay down covering fire for when we make our escape. Yoshida and Sugiyama will deal with any that decide to chase after us. I trust you all understand that?"

"Yep!" Lelouch could practically see the grin on Tamaki's face.

"If I gotta work with this idiot-" "Hey!" "-then alright." Minami sighed. "Just... don't die on us, okay Zero?"

"Leave the Brits to us!" Yoshida yelled with enthusiasm.

"We wont let them touch you guys!" Sugiyama agreed fiercely.

"I shall do my best, Zero." Lucian said with a hint of confidence in his voice.

'_Everything is set.'_ Lelouch thought with a smirk as he tapped his feet on the car, signaling Kallen to move the vehicle. _'Hold on, Suzaku... I'm on my way!'_

~~~Scene Break~~~

Lucian could feel his heart thumping away in his chest as he sat inside the Sutherland, his palms becoming caked in sweat. Today was the day he would get to see his father's actions up close and personal, and not just being a piece on the chess board. Somehow or another, he had gained Lelouch's trust, despite the fact that he had, quite literally, appeared out of nowhere. _'Uncle had rejected father's offer to join the Black Knights because of how the Purists would retaliate in response to his freedom.'_ Lucian went over everything he knew regarding the Orange Incident. _'The likelihood of him joining is very low... but... if he could be persuaded...'_

"_Yo, Lucian!"_ Tamaki's voice shook him from his thoughts, starting the twelfth prince somewhat. _"Are you seeing this? The whole damn streets crawling with Britannians!"_

"The lead reporter is Diethard Reed, the Purists' go-to man for anything and everything revolving around the media." Lucian explained, recalling a man who was obsessed with making Zero into the very symbol of God. "They probably wanted to break Suzaku's spirit by having patriotic Britannians hurl abuse at him left and right."

"_Talk about sick..."_ Yoshida spat out in disgust. _"I mean, sure, the guy's an Honorary Britannian and all, but _this?_ This is going too far."_

"And I whole-heartedly agree, Yoshida-_san_."

They ceased their chatter once the well-designed fake transport of the late third prince had arrived at the location. The two Knightmares on either side of Kewell Soresei stopped and aimed their rifles at it, while Kewell himself was glaring hard.

Wait... Kewell? _'But, if I recall correctly, it was Sir Jeremiah...'_ Lucian frowned. _'So why is _he_ the acting officer here?'_

"You there!" Kewell barked, obviously angered by the fact that someone had the audacity to disgrace the prince's transport. "How dare you disgrace our beloved Prince Clovis!"

Right on cue, Kallen pressed a small button on the dashboard, and the Britannian flag was burned away, revealing Zero in all of his glory.

"**People of Britannia, I am... Zero!"**

Lucian chuckled as he saw the unrest among the Britannians, particularly Jeremiah, who was at the back alongside Villetta. Any second now, Diethard would run out onto the street with camera in hand, about to film one of the most famous figures in the empire, both heralded and despised.

"I've seen enough, _Zero_!" Kewell growled, taking out his gun and aimed it at the sky before pulling the trigger. "Show's over!"

Lucian braced himself as he felt his hijacked Sutherland fall from its VTOL, the entire machine shuddering as it slammed down to earth, feet first before acting out his part as a soldier and aiming the rifle at Zero. "Now, why don't you take off that mask, you filthy Eleven?!"

'_And therein lies the irony...'_ Lucian chuckled._ 'Despite all the mystery and stories behind him, no one knew that the first Zero wasn't Japanese.'_

Zero's hand came to his mask, as if about to unveil himself. However, this was not what he had planned to do, as he soon swiped his arm straight into the air and snapped his fingers. Immediately, the storage container behind him bursted open, revealing a perfect replica of the capsule that contained Cecaniah, or rather, C.C.

While everyone else looked on in intrigue, Jeremiah and Villetta looked shocked while Kewell was downright furious. After all, as far as the public knew, it was just some strange device that carried something inside of it, a bargaining chip most likely. However, to the Purists, it was a capsule of poison gas that could kill every single person here.

"W-why you...!"

"**I wouldn't shoot me if I were you, Lord Kewell."**

The orange-haired man growled before lowering his gun. "Very well, what are your demands?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"**This,"** Zero gestured behind him before pointing to Suzaku. **"for Private Suzaku Kururugi."**

The response was obvious. "Like hell I will!" Kewell snapped back. "This bastard is wanted for the murder of his highness, Prince Clovis!"

"**Wrong!"** Zero told him, causing everyone to stop and focus more intently on him. Diethard had emerged from the news van and was pushing his way through the crowd, trying to get a good shot at the soon-to-be-christened Man of Miracles. **"He is no killer. When Clovis was killed, it left you the perfect opportunity to seize control of the military, and thus allowing you to eliminate Honorary Britannian citizenship. Because of his status as the son of the late Prime Minister of Japan, Kururugi was the perfect choice to be your scapegoat, as you never caught the real killer in the first place!"**

The crowd gasped in shocked while Diethard was beginning to grin like a madman. Lucian looked completely amazed by his father's work, now understand the full appeal and strength behind him. _'So this is the true Zero... mother was right, he is _incredible_!'_

"**However, if it is the true murderer of Prince Clovis you're still after, then look no further!"** his father announced, his speech reaching its conclusion. **"For the true assassin stands before you!"**

"True assassin...?" Kewell muttered before his eyes widened in realization, and once again aimed his gun. "You mean that you're...?!"

"**That's correct... the one who killed Clovis la Britannia..."** And that moment, Zero turned towards Diethard's camera, wanting the whole world to know not just what he was capable of, but of what he would do in the near future. His reasons for the dramatics were because he wanted for the world to see his actions, to leave behind a wake of fear and awe in his journey to destroy Britannia.

"**WAS MYSELF!"**

Lucian knew that there was no longer any reason to hold any more doubts. His grip on the controls tightened, his eyes grew steely, and his jaw locked sternly. _'Now that I've seen for myself what father is capable of...'_ he thought, the Geass in his right eye burning brightly in the dimly-lit cockpit. _'I'll show Charles zi Britannia that it isn't just Zero he has to fear!'_

Shift END

_Next Time:_ Fourth Shift: Feline Flourish

As you can guess, next chapter is gonna involve our favorite cat! Sorry if this was suckish, I barely had time to work on it! Please tell me what you think! And, as to what Lucian's Geass is... well, that's a secret~


	5. Chapter 5

Code Geass: Lucian of the Paradox

**Author's Notes:** Well, this has been getting a bit more reception. The idea of time travel has been overused from what I have been reading, but I must say, this is turning out nicely. Not as popular as R-eset, but just as good! Still, I've been talking a bit with a friend of mine, and now that we have a plan in motion, I'll explain more about it later. By the way, due to input, I have come to realize something... Cecile never really got a pairing with anyone, did she?

Well, no one need fear it any longer! This is, as of now... a LucianXCecile pairing!

And with that, let us dive right back into Lucian of the Paradox!

_Fourth Shift: Feline Flourish_

Lucian groaned as he laid himself down on the bed, his face buried in his pillow. "What a day..." he muttered as his face turned to the side, looking at the bleak walls past the picture that was placed inside a delicate black frame. Every day, he would look at the photo, reminiscing and wondering about his father and what he was like before all of this. Now, he wondered how it was that he thought he could create a new world by him sacrificing himself.

"Uncle said that it was easier for people to recognize the name of one person rather than a system known as Damocles..." Lucian whispered, recalling the incident that left the entire world quaking in both awe and fear at the fact that a single man had gained control of the entire world, something that Britannia had dreamed of doing for years. "But... was that really the only solution?"

Sighing, he rolled over and looked at the windows that barely illuminated the room, the sounds of the city echoing past the glass. "Uncle was far more stubborn than I thought..." Lucian muttered briefly before closing his eyes, the events of what transpired earlier still fresh in his mind.

~~~Scene Break~~~

"Now you understand what sort of people the Britannians truly are, Suzaku Kururugi."

Lucian hanged back in the shadows, his arms crossed over his chest and his back leaning against the wall while he watched the scene unfold. He couldn't let Suzaku see him now, he didn't want to deal with the questions that would definitely come in the future. Besides, his Geass, as explained by Cecaniah, was still a bit unstable. Still, he would love to know who or what the hell went and gave him this accursed power in the first place!

"Tell me, did you really kill Clovis?" Suzaku asked, his eyes narrowing on Lelouch's cloaked form. He could tell that his father seemed confused by the Honorary Britannian's words.

"Why wouldn't I kill Clovis? This is war, Kururugi. Eliminating the enemy commander is the simplest way to end the fighting. The results are how one expects them to be." Zero told the son of the late Prime Minister, only to see a frown mar the boy's features.

"So, the results are that matter to you?"

Lucian raised an eyebrow. Where was he going with this? "Britannia does not deserve your loyalty. Join me, Suzaku Kururugi." The twelfth prince of Britannia sighed, shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders. What on earth was his father doing? There was no way Suzaku would join him, especially if he thought his allies were nothing but chess pieces.

"Sorry, but I won't join you."

"What?"

"If I did, the Purists would start to crack down on Elevens." Lucian felt his eyebrow twitch. His uncle never called his own people by that name, but that was in his own time. Now, he was nothing but a loyal servant to Britannia. "Besides, any methods of gaining peace through contemptible means aren't worth anything." With that, he turned on his heel and began to walk away. "I believe that I can change the system from within. Sure, it wouldn't happen overnight, but I know it can be done."

"Where are you going?!" Lucian's father bellowed in shock. "Don't tell me your going back to your own execution?!"

"I'm late enough for my trial as it is." Suzaku said flatly, obvious ignorant to the society and rules that were laid down by Britannia. In all honesty, it was almost a double take for Lucian. Was this really the same person that became the famed Black Demon of Britannia? "If I am going to die, it will be in the service of the people."

Lucian had enough of this. This was going on long enough. "Tell me, Kururugi... do you honestly believe that you can change the system?" As soon as he spoke, Suzaku stopped in his tracks and turned to the source of his voice, seeing Lucian step out of the shadows, but not revealing his face. "Will you truly allow yourself to die, knowing full well that there are people who are waiting for you to come back alive?"

"That voice... you're from Shinjuku... the one in that black Knightmare." Suzaku realized, turning to face his nephew fully. "I know there are people waiting for me... and it's because of them that I want to change Britannia. I want to make it a better place for them!"

"I assume you're referring to Lelouch and Nunnally vi Britannia?" Lucian asked, causing Lelouch's posture to nearly fall. He had never known the true reason why Suzaku wanted to change Britannia so badly, but to hear it now; it had shocked him to his very core. "Then, would you be fine with dying, knowing that they would be sad to see you gone? You, who had become their only true friend in Japan, would disappear in either the flames of war or in the corrupted society that casted them out in the first place."

"B-but that's-"

"You seem to forget that Charles zi Britannia called his own daughter who had become blind and crippled, _weak_ simply because of her current condition, and when his son demanded justice for the death of his mother, what did he do?" Lucian's voice began to rise. "He told him 'You are dead to me'. He disowned them both, exiled them, and sent them to Japan to be used as nothing more but mere bargaining tools in the civil war for Sakuradite. Knowing that... do you still honestly believe that you can change Britannia for the better? Moreover, what in the hell makes you think that Lelouch and his sister even WANT to return to the man who would use them both as mere political tools?"

Suzaku fell deafly quiet, unable to look Lucian in the eyes. After all, how could he? His words hit sharper than any knife or MVS blade ever could. "If you honestly believe Britannia can be change... if you think that you can change the system... then prove it with your actions. Actions speak louder than empty promises, Suzaku Kururugi."

"Enough, Susano'o." his father commanded of him. Lucian nodded and stepped back, allowing Zero to take a step forward, having had enough time to regain his composure. "My partner is correct. Actions do indeed speak much louder than words. If you think that you can change Britannia for the better, then try to do so. However, if you change your mind, know that there will always be a place for you here."

Suzaku's bangs hid his soft green orbs, but Lucian could see the conflicting emotions within them as he turned to walk away. As soon as he was gone, Lelouch sighed, taking off his mask and wiping the sweat off of his brow. "Well... that could have gone better."

"That should be my line." Lucian stated. "You know, you could have used your Geass to make him join."

"No, I want Suzaku to come with us of his own free will." Lelouch shook his head. "Still, to know that his reasons for becoming an Honorary Britannian were because of me and Nunnally... Honestly, that idiot never used to be like this. What could have changed?"

Lucian didn't say anything. He wasn't sure how his father learned that Suzaku had murdered his own father and became a suicidal fool after that, but he wondered what would come from learning the reasons. Either way, Suzaku now had doubts as to whether or not he could succeed, and that was enough for him. Now, he had only hoped that things would go smoothly...

~~~Scene Break~~~

Suzaku frowned deeply in thought as he walked down the streets of the Settlement and away from the courthouse where he had just gotten done with his trial. He didn't understand any of what had just happened. First the Purebloods had so much evidence that he was sure to be guilty, however it appeared that, after that whole stunt when Zero and that Susano'o character, the charges had been dropped due to a lack of evidence. It just left him baffled.

'_Still, that voice...'_ Suzaku thought, remembering his meeting with Zero. _'Susano'o... he sounded so familiar... Could we have met before?'_

As he was lost in thought, he accidentally bumped into someone, and was promptly sent down to his rear, which smacked harshly against the concrete. "Owww..." he groaned, rubbing his sore rear before seeing a hand stretched out in front of him. "S-sorry, I didn't mean... to..."

He trailed off once he got a look at their face. It was a boy his age with raven black hair that covered his right eye, while his left was cold sapphire blue, and wore a scarf wrapped around his neck. He had on a simple white jacket with black trims and a pair of worn jeans, but what really caught Suzaku's attention was his face.

His eyes widened. "Le-"

"I am not Lelouch Lamperouge, Kururugi." the boy cut him off sternly, crossing his arms. "My name is Lucian Spacer, a pleasure."

Suzaku stared and stared at the boy, shocked to see someone who looked exactly like his old friend before his voice caught his attention. His shock left him immediately, and his body grew tense. "Susano'o."

Lucian smiled a bit. "Glad you remembered me, Kururugi. By the by, how's the wounds?"

"Did Zero tell you to keep an eye on me?" Suzaku asked suspiciously. "If you're worried I'll tell you where your hideout is-"

"That was not our hideout, just a temporary hiding place." Lucian waved off his accusations. "And I'm not doing this because I was ordered. I'm simply getting to know the person who thinks he can change Britannia from the inside. Is that so wrong?"

Suzaku blinked. He clearly did not expect the man who was working with Zero to be interested in him, especially coming out to meet him in person. Personally, it just boggled his mind and wondered who or what this kid was, seeing as how he looked like a carbon copy of Lelouch. The only difference he spotted was that left eye of his, and that was it.

"Oh, by the way, you may want to look up." Lucian advised, pointing his finger into the air. Suzaku looked up just in time to see a flash of pink descend upon him, and throttle him into the ground.

"Oof!"

"Ahh!"

Lucian stared at the scene. A young girl with bright pink hair was lying on top of Suzaku, her assets smashed into his face while her hands were over his. Overall, it looked as if it were a scene out of some cheesy ecchi comic.

'_Well, at least I know how Uncle meet Auntie Euphemia...'_ Lucian thought wryly, a small smile on his face. _'Still, this is kind of... awkward...'_

"I'm very sorry!" Euphemia li Britannia apologized profusely as she climbed off of Suzaku who began gasping huge gulps of air after the special part of her body was removed from his face. While it may have been a good way to die, it certainly wasn't the best way to go out, especially in front of a beautiful girl he didn't know. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah..." Suzaku coughed a bit as he dusted himself off. "Not every day a girl comes falling out from the sky and lands on you."

"And neither is it every day that it looked as if you two were about to do the deed out in public." Lucian stated with a shit-eating grin, causing the two to both burn bright red. "Still, you've got balls doing that, Kururugi."

"I-it wasn't on purpose!" Suzaku denied fiercely, his face burning up while his arms waved about in the air. However, he stopped when he noticed that, once Euphemia turned to look at Lucian, her eyes went wide and her mouth was slightly agape. _'Wait, does she know him?'_ he wondered briefly before Lucian gave a gentle smile and performed a mock bow.

"Lucian Spacer, a pleasure to meet you, Euphemia li Britannia." he introduced himself to the younger sister of the Goddess of Victory. "And no, I am not related to Lelouch vi Britannia whatsoever."

Suzaku's eyes became as large as softballs and whirled on the girl, staring at her in disbelief. _'Wait, she's a princess?!'_ he thought in shock. _'And she's Lelouch's sister?! I thought Nunnally was his only sibling!'_ It seemed that Suzaku had forgotten that the Emperor of Britannia seemed to fancy the embodiment of every man's dream: a harem.

"O-oh, I see..." Euphemia said, getting over her shock and nodding sadly, hoping it had been him. "I'm sorry for mistaking you for my brother. It's just that..."

"I know, I resemble him a great deal. I learned that when I met an acquaintance of his before Japan became Area 11." Lucian explained to her, giving a rather half-assed cover story. Still, altering one's family history and even faking it was quite easy, especially when you're teachers were the most brilliant Knightmare developers in all of Britannia. Hacking into a computer was practically boring at this point in time. "So, to what do we owe the honor of meeting a member of the Imperial Family?" he asked curiously.

Just then, a shout bellowed from above them. "Princess!" The three looked up to see a burly man with a scar on his face leaning over the edge with a look of exasperation. "Princess Euphemia!"

Before the two had a chance to say anything, Euphemia grabbed them both by the arm and booked it down the street. "Sorry Darlton!" she called out over her shoulder with a playful smile. "Please tell Cornelia I'll be back soon!"

Alexander Darlton's voice drowned out behind them as the delved further into the crowd of people.

~~~Scene Break~~~

Lelouch sighed as he reclined in his chair, reading about the now infamous 'Orange Incident' that was blowing up all over the Internet, carrying details about the night when he, Lucian, and the members of the resistance had rescued Suzaku and gotten away. Kewell Soresei had become a public disgrace and a military black sheep, and everyone wanted to know just what this 'Orange' thing was. People speculated it was a codename for a Britannian spy within the ranks, or perhaps a secret project that the prince had kept secret. "Quite the plan you laid out." C.C. said as she looked over his shoulder. Lelouch resisted the urge to pinch his nose to block out the smell of pizza that clinged to her like a leech. "Still, a bit half-baked. I thought it was going to be that Jeremiah fellow."

"And what made you think that?" Lelouch asked curiously, wondering why she suspected that he would be the one leading the attempted plan. "Also, you still haven't told me why you're staying here. Isn't the military looking for you?"

C.C. shrugged her shoulders before plopping back down on his bed and grabbing a slice of pizza from the box. "Only a part of it. As for why I'm here, Lucian's place was cramped, so I chose to stick here."

Lelouch's eyes widened and turned to face her slightly. "You met with him?"

"Of course I did. After all, I wanted to see one of my other contractors."

"So, he has Geass as well..." Lelouch muttered, crossing his arms while his brow furrowed, showing him to be deep in thought. "That explains how he knew about my Geass. So, what are his limitations? I'm already aware of mine."

"Geass manifests differently for everyone." the seemingly immortal witch informed him. "My previous contractor possessed the Power of Absolute Mind, which allowed him to hear the unconscious thoughts of everyone within 500 meters. However, he had used it far too many times, so now he can't shut it off."

"Why is that?"

"With each use of Geass, it's power grows. Eventually, it will reach the point where you can no longer deactivate it. It's referred to as a Runaway Geass. Anyway, Lucy's is called Absolute Memory."

'_Lucy?'_ Lelouch questioned in his head. _'Must be her pet name for him.'_ "Absolute Memory?"

"It allows him to restore memories, though it only works on specific targets."

Lelouch frowned. Judging by the name, it sounded like he could manipulate someone's memories, but what C.C. said caught his attention. Restore memories? Did that mean it affected people with amnesia? _'Doesn't sound useful, but what does she mean by specific targets?'_

"So, why did you think it was going to be this Jeremiah person who was going to be the one to be blamed for Orange?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, for one thing, he was the one who suggested that they used Suzaku Kururugi as the scapegoat in the first place." C.C. told him. "Not only that, but he's also the leader of the Purist Faction. Makes sense, doesn't it?"

Satisfied, Lelouch could see the logic in that. In fact, there was a part of him that seemed to be a bit confused when he saw Kewell standing at the front. Wasn't it supposed to be someone else?

Now that he thought about it... the feeling was the same as he got about Lucian. _'This doesn't make sense... First I want to protect someone who I've barely gotten to know, and now I'm wondering why it was Kewell at the head and not Jeremiah... Just what's going on here?'_

~~~Scene Break~~~

"So, you arrived from the homeland with your sister?" Suzaku asked as he, Lucian, and Euphemia walked side by side. "Well, I suppose it would make sense, considering what happened at the trial."

"Jeremiah Gottwald was thought to be the one to take over the position of Viceroy, but after what happened at your court martial, things got so out of hand that they decided to hold off until they found a suitable replacement." Lucian explained with his hands in his pockets. "Still, the infamous Witch of Britannia? Guess we can officially say that the resistance cells and terrorists are totally screwed now."

At the mention of the prospect of fighting, Euphemia fell quiet while Suzaku winced. The Honorary Britannian had indeed heard of the stories about how brutal and powerful Cornelia li Britannia was on the battlefield, and was inclined to agree that such battles were pointless. While he did want the resistances to stop and try to come to an understanding, he didn't want to see people die either.

"The reason my sister agreed in the first place was so that she could find Zero..." Euphemia whimpered, clutching both of her hands tightly. "The dead cannot come back, I know that... but I wish I could understand why Zero killed my brother."

"Because he thinks only for himself." Suzaku responded without thinking. "He wants only results. He even told me so when he met, but..." he bit his lower lip. He still couldn't make heads or tails out of Susano'o. It seemed that, from the way he spoke, that he was discontent with Britannia, but at the same time, he could sense something else from him, something that he couldn't quite explain. "One of his allies, Susano'o... He seemed different from Zero."

Euphemia looked curious when she mentioned the name of Lucian's personal Knightmare. "Susano'o? Isn't that an... Eleven... name?" she caught herself from saying Japanese. Lucian understood that, she was a princess of Britannia, and as such, she had to keep appearances, despite how much she hated it.

"In Japanese mythology, Susano'o is the name of one of Izanagi's three children." Lucian explained, recalling the story both his mother and Suzaku told him when he was seven years old. "Tsukiyomi, the older brother, was the god of the moon while Susano'o was a trickster and held a hot temper, while their younger sister Amaterasu was the goddess of the sun. Because of his actions, Susano'o was often called the Raging God, but depending on how you translate the name, it literally means "he who protects"."

Euphemia's eyes widened as he told her the story, surprised that he called Elevens by their true name, and Suzaku was just as surprised. "Lucian, by any chance... are you half-Britannian?" he asked, already having a good idea what nationality Lucian was.

"Technically, I'm two-thirds Britannian." Lucian said with a bored look. "My mother was half-Britannian and half-Japanese. Oh, and if anyone thinks they can insult me, they had better expect to meet the _Shinigami_ when I'm through with them."

Suzaku couldn't help but chuckle alongside Euphemia while Lucian smiled warmly, turning away from morbid thoughts and into normal pass-time. While they were out in public, Euphemia was to be called 'Euphie', something that Suzaku could understand. The last thing they needed was the media hounding them and people swarming all over them like a tidal wave.

'_Still, she's nothing like I imagined...'_ he thought, staring at her as she began to play with a stray cat walking around. _'She's just like Nunnally... and she's cute too-Wait, what the hell am I thinking?!'_ He shook his head vehemently to remove such thoughts from his head, not wishing to go farther than that. _'She's a princess for God's sake! I'm just a Number, there's no way I could...'_

He was removed from his thoughts when he saw by far the most hilarious scene. The stray cat that Euphie had been playing with was now currently on top of Lucian, licking his face while the boy laughed. "C-c'mon Artie-_kun_, stop that-ahahahaha! S-S-Suzaku, h-help!" he managed to get out between mirths while Euphie giggled at the sight. Suzaku couldn't help but smile as well before deciding to intervene and take the cat off of him...

...and was promptly bitten.

"YEOWCH!"

~~~Scene Break~~~

"Are you okay, Suzaku?" Euphie asked worriedly as she wrapped bandages around Suzaku's finger, which was burning red with a large bite mark near the knuckle. "I didn't think you wouldn't like cats that much."

"I like them just fine..." Suzaku whimpered, making a mock pout before turning to Lucian, who was holding Arthur with a giant grin. "Unfortunately, the attraction isn't mutual. Although, it seems like you and that cat get along just fine. Is he yours?"

"Sort of..." Lucian said as he nuzzled his face against Arthur's face, who in turn purred. Lucian and Arthur were practically inseparable in his timeline, as the cat had quickly taken a shine to him when he was only four. By then, he was already old with his fur mangy and his eyes droopy, his steps wobbly. The cat died on Lucian's twelfth birthday, which saddened him greatly, as the cast was probably his closest friend besides Alex Cardemonde. Kallen suggested getting him a new pet, but Lucian outright refused. It was because of that action that Suzaku pulled the boy into a tight embrace.

Arthur was irreplaceable, and to see the cat here once again was by far the best thing that had happened to him so far. It appeared the cat seemed to know who he was, though how the cat knew was beyond him. "Oh, what's the kitty's name?" Euphie asked curiously, inching closer to the Lelouch look-alike and petting the cat's head.

"Arthur, though I call him Artie-_kun_."

"Arthur, huh?" Suzaku grumbled, recalling the name of the Knightmare he piloted back during the Shinjuku ghetto. "Kind of ironic..."

"Hm, you say something, Kururugi?"

"Nothing,"

After the three resumed their expedition around the city, Suzaku and Lucian stood back a ways from Euphie, having a private conversation, and their voices hushed.

"Hey, Lucian... Can I ask you something?"

"Go right ahead."

"Why do you work with Zero?"

"Because I have no choice."

"Did he force you?"

"No, it's just... the reason I follow him is because there's someone I want to protect."

That took Suzaku by surprise. "Someone you want to protect?" he repeated, genuinely curious.

Lucian nodded. "Someone once told me something. 'There is always a reason to fight, whether or not that reason is good or bad is not for people to judge. If you don't like fighting, then turn and run. If you want to protect something, do it with your own strength, consequences be damned. Stain your hands with blood if you must, for the strength of one with something to protect is a formidable one indeed.' Those were the words that my teacher passed down to me after I graduated middle school and began to learn how to control a Knightmare."

Suzaku stared at the boy with large eyes, not seeing some terrorist that he had once thought him to be. Rather, what he saw was a boy who was going to great lengths to protect something, even if meant he had to become a mass murderer. To be honest, he couldn't imagine being able to handle such a thing, and yet, somehow, he knew Lucian was capable of it. _'I wonder if the reason Zero fights against Britannia is because he has something to protect as well...'_ he thought, trying to imagine what the man behind that black mask was like. _'I could tell that he hated Britannia... My reason for fighting is to make the world a better place for Nunnally and Lelouch... But, what do I have to protect?'_

Suzaku couldn't find the answer. As the two walked, Arthur gazed quietly at Suzaku before snuggling against Lucian, giving a tired yawn and closing its eyes, eventually falling asleep.

Shift END

_Next Shift:_ Fifth Shift: Raging God versus Goddess of Victory


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